Metastability and uniqueness of vortex states at depinning

Abstract

We present results from numerical simulations of transport of vortices in the zero-field cooled (ZFC) and the field-cooled (FC) state of a type-II superconductor. In the absence of an applied current $I$, we find that the FC state has a lower defect density than the ZFC state, and is stable against thermal cycling. On the other hand, by cycling $I$, surprisingly we find that the ZFC state is the stable state. The FC state is metastable as manifested by increasing $I$ to the depinning current $I_c$, in which case the FC state evolves into the ZFC state. We also find that all configurations acquire a unique defect density at the depinning transition independent of the history of the initial states.

4 pages, 4 figures. Problem of page size corrected

References in corpus (3)

• Vortex dynamics in two-dimensional systems at high driving forces
• Edge and Bulk Transport in the Mixed State of a Type-II Superconductor
• Oscillatory dynamics and organization of the vortex solid in YBa2Cu3O7 single crystals

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Signatures of Noise Enhanced Stability in Metastable States
• Depinning and dynamics of AC driven vortex lattices in random media
• Irreversible flow of vortex matter: polycrystal and amorphous phases
• Domain regime in two-dimensional disordered vortex matter
• Depinning and critical current characteristics of topologically defected vortex lattices