Publication
Title
Superconductor-ferromagnet bilayer under external drive : the role of vortex-antivortex matter
Author
Abstract
Using advanced Ginzburg-Landau simulations, we study the superconducting state of a thin superconducting film under a ferromagnetic layer, separated by an insulating oxide, in applied external magnetic field and electric current. The taken uniaxial ferromagnet is organized into a series of parallel domains with alternating polarization of out-of-plane magnetization, sufficiently strong to induce vortex-antivortex pairs in the underlying superconductor in absence of other magnetic field. We show the organization of such vortex-antivortex matter into rich configurations, some of which are not matching the periodicity of the ferromagnetic film. The variety of possible configurations is enhanced by applied homogeneous magnetic field, where additional vortices in the superconductor may lower the energy of the system by either annihilating the present antivortices under negative ferromagnetic domains or by lowering their own energy after positioning under positive ferromagnetic domains. As a consequence, both the vortex-antivortex reordering in increasing external field and the evolution of the energy of the system are highly nontrivial. Finally, we reveal the very interesting effects of applied dc electric current on the vortex-antivortex configurations, since resulting Lorentzian force has opposite direction for vortices and antivortices, while direction of the applied current with respect to ferromagnetic domains is of crucial importance for the interaction of the applied and the Meissner current, as well as the consequent vortex-antivortex dynamics-both of which are reflected in the anisotropic critical current of the system. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of applied physics / American Institute of Physics. - New York, N.Y., 1937, currens
Publication
New York, N.Y. : American Institute of Physics , 2016
ISSN
0021-8979 [print]
1089-7550 [online]
DOI
10.1063/1.4943364
Volume/pages
119 :9 (2016) , 9 p.
Article Reference
093912
ISI
000372351900018
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Superconductivity per atomic layer.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 10.05.2016
Last edited 09.10.2023
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