Oscillating Rows of Vortices in Superconductors
T. Matsuda,1
O. Kamimura,1
H. Kasai,1
K. Harada,1
T. Yoshida,1
T. Akashi,2
A. Tonomura,1*
Y. Nakayama,3
J. Shimoyama,3
K. Kishio,3
T. Hanaguri,4
K. Kitazawa4
Superconductors can be used as dissipation-free electrical
conductors as long as vortices are pinned. Vortices in high-temperature superconductors, however, behave anomalously, reflecting the
anisotropic layered structure, and can move readily, thus preventing
their practical use. Specifically, in a magnetic field tilted toward the layer plane, a special vortex arrangement (chain-lattice state) is
formed. Real-time observation of vortices using high-resolution Lorentz
microscopy revealed that the images of chain vortices begin to
disappear at a much lower temperature, Td, than
the superconducting transition temperature, Tc.
We attribute this image disappearance to the longitudinal oscillation
of vortices along the chains.
1 Advanced Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd.,
Hatoyama, Saitama 350-0395, Japan.
2 Hitachi
Instruments Service Co. Ltd., 4-28-8 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
160-0004, Japan.
3 Department of Applied Chemistry,
University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
4 Department of Advanced Materials Science, School
of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
tonomura{at}harl.hitachi.co.jp
