Title
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Observation of a gel of quantum vortices in a superconductor at very low magnetic fields
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Author
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Abstract
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A gel consists of a network of particles or molecules formed for example using the sol-gel process, by which a solution transforms into a porous solid. Particles or molecules in a gel are mainly organized on a scaffold that makes up a porous system. Quantized vortices in type-II superconductors mostly form spatially homogeneous ordered or amorphous solids. Here we present high-resolution imaging of the vortex lattice displaying dense vortex clusters separated by sparse or entirely vortex-free regions in beta-Bi2Pd superconductor. We find that the intervortex distance diverges upon decreasing the magnetic field and that vortex lattice images follow a multifractal behavior. These properties, characteristic of gels, establish the presence of a novel vortex distribution, distinctly different from the well-studied disordered and glassy phases observed in high-temperature and conventional superconductors. The observed behavior is caused by a scaffold of one-dimensional structural defects with enhanced stress close to the defects. The vortex gel might often occur in type-II superconductors at low magnetic fields. Such vortex distributions should allow to considerably simplify control over vortex positions and manipulation of quantum vortex states. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Physical review research
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Publication
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2020
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DOI
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10.1103/PHYSREVRESEARCH.2.013329
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Volume/pages
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2
:1
(2020)
, 16 p.
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Article Reference
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013329
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ISI
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000602698100008
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Medium
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E-only publicatie
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (open access)
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