Growth of a vortex polycrystal in type II superconductors

Abstract

We discuss the formation of a vortex polycrystal in type II superconductors from the competition between pinning and elastic forces. We compute the elastic energy of a deformed grain boundary, that is strongly non-local, and obtain the depinning stress for weak and strong pinning. Our estimates for the grain size dependence on the magnetic field strength are in good agreement with previous experiments on NbMo. Finally, we discuss the effect of thermal noise on grain growth.

arXiv comment4 pages, 2 figures

References in corpus (7)

• The Flux-Line Lattice in Superconductors
• Elastic theory of flux lattices in presence of weak disorder
• Inverse melting of the vortex lattice
• A Bragg glass phase in the vortex lattice of a type II superconductor
• Dislocations and the critical endpoint of the melting line of vortex line lattices
• Theory of plastic vortex creep
• First order phase transition from the vortex liquid to an amorphous solid

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Irreversible flow of vortex matter: polycrystal and amorphous phases
• Grain boundaries in vortex matter
• Evolution in the split-peak structure across the Peak Effect region in single crystals of $2H$-NbSe${}_2$
• Macroscopic Phase Coherence of Defective Vortex Lattices in Two Dimensions
• Viscoelastic Interfaces Driven in Disordered Media and Applications to Friction
• Depinning and critical current characteristics of topologically defected vortex lattices
• Doping Dependence of Vortex Regimes in Y${}_{1-x}$Pr${}_x$Ba${}_2$Cu${}_3$O${}_{7-\delta }$ Single Crystals