Scanning quantum vortex microscopy reveals thickness-dependent pinning nano-network in superconducting Nb-films
arXiv:2403.20125 · doi:10.1038/s43246-025-00759-6
Abstract
The presence of quantum vortices determines the electromagnetic response of superconducting materials and devices. Controlling the vortex motion, their pinning on intrinsic and artificial defects is therefore essential for superconducting electronics. Here we take advantage of the attractive force between a magnetic cantilever of the Magnetic Force Microscope and a single quantum vortex to spatially map the pinning force inside 50-240 nm thick magnetron-sputtered Nb-films, commonly used in advanced superconducting electronics. The revealed pinning nano-network is related to the thickness-dependent granular structure of the films as well as to the characteristic microscopic scales of superconductivity. Our approach is general, and can be directly applied to other type II granular superconducting materials and nanodevices.
14 pages, 3 figures, 108 references
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Cited by in corpus (4)
- Impact of border defects on the magnetic flux penetration in superconducting films
- Magnetic force microscopy versus scanning quantum-vortex microscopy: Probing pinning landscape in granular niobium films
- Equidistant resonance jumps in superconducting coplanar resonators driven by Abrikosov vortices
- Investigation of tantalum films growth for coplanar resonators with internal quality factors above ten million