Superconducting hybrids

We explore hybrids made of a superconducting layer in close contact with either metallic, magnetic, or an additional superconducting layer to investigate the effects of the interaction between the superconducting vortices and their neighborhood. In this topic, we have established international collaborations (EPNM/ULg and QSP/KU Leuven, from Belgium, and Università degli Studi di Salerno, Italy) to prepare these hybrids in order to study how the vortex dynamics is affected by one neighbor layer. 

Summary: 

Hybrids with superconducting materials

member

The occurrence of flux avalanches is a limiting event for applications because of its tendency to induce noise on electrical signals, uncontrollable flux movement, and local temperature fluctuations, which could even take the material to the normal state. An interesting approach to avoid flux avalanches is to add a metallic layer in close proximity to the superconducting film, thus forming an arrangement in which magnetic braking acts to avoid flux avalanches. Additionally, instead of a conducting layer, one can also apply a magnetically active coating, thus forming a hybrid with a superconducting film. In such physically rich systems, both layers interact with each other, and this can consequently be tuned by external parameters like layer thickness, the spacing among them, the applied magnetic field, and the temperature. One then has a valuable setup to study and optimize the effects of the mutual presence of both layers. Recent studies have revealed that one can use the magnetic state of a ferromagnetic layer to tailor vortex dynamics in the superconducting film. Conversely, it was also demonstrated that the vortex movement can alter the magnetic state of a ferromagnetic layer, keeping a magnetic record of the tracks left behind by moving magnetic flux. Therefore, superconducting hybrids can be used as a fascinating approach to control vortex dynamics in superconducting films.

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