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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Superconducting vortices carrying a temperature-dependent fraction of the flux quantum

Magnetic field penetrates type-II bulk superconductors by forming quantum vortices that enclose a magnetic flux equal to the magnetic flux quantum. The flux quantum is a universal quantity that depends only on fundamental constants. In this study, we investigated isolated vortices in the hole-overdoped Ba 1–x K x Fe 2 As 2 (x = 0.77) by using scanning superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. In many locations, we observed objects that carried only part of a flux quantum, with a magnitude that varied continuously with temperature. Here, we demonstrated mobility and manipulability of these objects and interpreted them as quantum vortices with nonuniversally quantized (fractional) magnetic flux whose magnitude is determined by the temperature-dependent parameters of a multicomponent superconductor.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Vortex in superconducting thin-film strips of arbitrary width

We report the currents and field distributions of a vortex in a thin superconducting strip of a width W are considered. It is shown that unlike infinite films where the vortex field crosses the film only in one direction (say, from the half-space under the film to the half-space above it), in strips (as well as in finite size film samples of any shape) the field lines go back to the lower half-space not only out of the sample but also through certain strip parts. The strip patches where the magnetic lines 'dive' back to the space under the strip are situated mostly near the strip edges, at the strip and out of it. The magnetic flux through the strip associated with the vortex is shown to be less than the flux quantum and depends on the vortex position. The suppression of the vortex flux is strong in narrow strips with W $\ll$ Λ = 2λ 2 /d where λ is the bulk London penetration depth and d is the film thickness. The vortex energy scales roughly with W/Λ and depends on vortex position.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Universal Anomalous Diffusion of Quantized Vortices in Ultraquantum Turbulence

In classical viscous fluids, turbulent eddies are known to be responsible for the rapid spreading of embedded particles. However, in inviscid quantum fluids where the turbulence is induced by a chaotic tangle of quantized vortices, dispersion of the particles can be achieved via a nonclassical mechanism, i.e., their binding to the evolving vortices. However, knowledge on how the vortices diffuse and spread in quantum-fluid turbulence is very limited, especially for the so-called ultraquantum turbulence (UQT) generated by a random tangle of vortices. Here we report a systematic numerical study of the apparent diffusion of vortices in UQT in superfluid helium-4 using the full Biot-Savart simulation. We reveal that the vortices in the superfluid exhibit a universal anomalous diffusion (superdiffusion) at small times, which transits to normal diffusion at large times. This behavior is found to be the result of a generic scaling property of the vortex velocity. Our simulation at finite temperatures also nicely reproduces recent experimental observations. Lastly, the knowledge obtained from this study may form the base for understanding turbulent transport and universal vortex dynamics in various quantum fluids.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Rotational transition, domain formation, dislocations, and defects in vortex systems with combined sixfold and twelvefold anisotropic interactions

We introduce a phenomenological model for a pairwise repulsive interaction potential of vortices in a type-II superconductor, consisting of superimposed sixfold and twelvefold anisotropies. Using numerical simulations we study how the vortex lattice configuration varies as the magnitudes of the two anisotropic interaction terms change. A triangular lattice appears for all values, and rotates through 30 ° as the ratio of the sixfold and twlevefold anisotropy amplitudes is varied, in agreement with experimental results. The transition causes the vortex lattice to split into domains that have rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, with grain boundaries that are “decorated” by dislocations consisting of fivefold and sevenfold coordinated vortices. We also find intradomain dislocations and defects, and characterize them in terms of their energy cost. We discuss how this model could be generalized to other particle-based systems with anisotropic interactions, such as colloids, and consider the limit of very large anisotropy where it is possible to create cluster crystal states.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mechanism for Anomalous Hall Ferromagnetism in Twisted Bilayer Graphene

Motivated by the recent observation of an anomalous Hall effect in twisted bilayer graphene, here we use a lowest Landau level model to understand the origin of the underlying symmetry-broken correlated state. This effective model is rooted in the occurrence of Chern bands which arise due to the coupling between the graphene device and its encapsulating substrate. Our model exhibits a phase transition from a spin-valley polarized insulator to a partial or fully valley unpolarized metal as the bandwidth is increased relative to the interaction strength, consistent with experimental observations. In sharp contrast to standard quantum Hall ferromagnetism, the Chern number structure of the flat bands precludes an instability to an intervalley coherent phase, but allows for an excitonic vortex lattice at large interaction anisotropy.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Campbell penetration depth in low carrier density superconductor YPtBi

Magnetic penetration depth, λ m , was measured as a function of temperature and magnetic field in single crystals of low carrier density superconductor YPtBi by using a tunnel-diode oscillator technique. Measurements in zero DC magnetic field yield London penetration depth, λ L ( T ) , but in the applied field the signal includes the Campbell penetration depth, λ C ( T ) , which is the characteristic length of the attenuation of small excitation field, H AC , into the Abrikosov vortex lattice due to its elasticity. Whereas the magnetic field dependent λ C exhibit λ C ~ B p with p = 1 / 2 in most of the conventional and unconventional superconductors, we found that p ≈ 0.23 << 1 / 2 in YPtBi due to rapid suppression of the pinning strength. From the measured λ C ( T , H ) , the critical current density is j c ≈ 40 A / cm 2 at 75 mK. We find that this is orders of magnitude lower than that of conventional superconductors of comparable T c .

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Emergent Dimer-Model Topological Order and Quasiparticle Excitations in Liquid Crystals: Combinatorial Vortex Lattices

Liquid crystals have proven to provide a versatile experimental and theoretical platform for studying topological objects such as vortices, skyrmions, and hopfions. In parallel, in hard condensed matter physics, the concept of topological phases and topological order has been introduced in the context of spin liquids to investigate emergent phenomena like quantum Hall effects and high-temperature superconductivity. Here, we bridge these two seemingly disparate perspectives on topology in physics. Combining experiments and simulations, we show how topological defects in liquid crystals can be used as versatile building blocks to create complex, highly degenerate topological phases, which we refer to as “combinatorial vortex lattices” (CVLs). CVLs exhibit extensive residual entropy and support locally stable quasiparticle excitations in the form of charge-conserving topological monopoles, which can act as mobile information carriers and be linked via Dirac strings. CVLs can be rewritten and reconfigured on demand, endowed with various symmetries, and modified through laser-induced topological surgery—an essential capability for information storage and retrieval. We demonstrate experimentally the realization, stability, and precise optical manipulation of CVLs, thus opening new avenues for understanding and technologically exploiting higher-hierarchy topology in liquid crystals and other ordered media.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

"Hall" transport of liquid crystal solitons in Couette flow

Topology establishes a unifying framework for a diverse range of scientific areas including particle physics, cosmology, and condensed matter physics. One of the most fascinating manifestations of topology in the context of condensed matter is the topological Hall effect, and its relative: the Skyrmion Hall effect. Skyrmions are stable vortex-like spin configurations in certain chiral magnets, and when subject to external electric currents can drift in the transverse direction to the current. These quasi-particles are characterised by a conserved topological charge which in the Skyrmion Hall effect plays the role of electric charges in the ordinary Hall effect. Recently, it has been shown that liquid crystals endowed with chiral properties serve as an ideal testbed for the fundamental investigation of topological solitons, including their two- and three-dimensional realisations. Here, we show experimentally and numerically that three-dimensional solitons aka "torons" exhibit a Hall-like effect when driven by shear flows: the torons are deflected in the direction perpendicular to the shear plane. The experimental results are rationalised in terms of the dynamic Ericksen-Leslie equations, which predict the emergence of the transverse component of the net mass flow, the magnitude of which scales as the 3rd power of the shear rate. The perturbation analysis highlights an interplay of the viscous and chiral elastic torques as the mechanism for the emergence of net transverse currents. Numerical simulations demonstrate, however, that torons are not merely dragged by the flow but move with their own transverse speed, much larger than the average flow velocity in the transverse direction. Our findings may enable responsive microfluidic applications relying on soft topological solitons.

FOS: Physical sciences↗
DOE OSTI2022

Magnetic circuit for Abrikosov vortices: Vortex motion in a periodic labyrinth of magnetic T and I-shaped elements under a superconducting film

Here we explore tailored labyrinth-like vortex motion in a niobium film placed on top of periodic arrays of T and I -shaped permalloy elements by imaging the vortex distribution in magnetic fields applied perpendicular to the superconducting layer under different in-plane polarizations of the TI structure. At low temperatures, we observe pronounced meandering of vortex motion around the TI elements. Remarkably, vortices can easily penetrate the sample along the TI columns even though the average vortex pinning in the patterned area is larger than in a bare niobium film. Accordingly, at temperatures close to the superconducting transition temperature, T c , the voltagecurrent curves in the patterned area show an earlier departure from the zero-resistivity state at small currents, followed by slower growth with increasing current as compared to the un-patterned film. We present a model based on magnetostatic interactions between magnetic charges at the edges of the polarized TI-elements and single magnetic charges of induced vortices to account for this behavior. We expect that similar magnetic structures imposing labyrinth-like vortex motion could be used for collective entanglement of vortices envisioned in quantum circuit operations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

pyTDGL: Time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau in Python

Time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) theory is a phenomenological model for the dynamics of superconducting systems. Due to its simplicity in comparison to microscopic theories and its effectiveness in describing the observed properties of the superconducting state, TDGL is widely used to interpret or explain measurements of superconducting devices. Here, we introduce pyTDGL, a Python package that solves a generalized TDGL model for superconducting thin films of arbitrary geometry, enabling simulations of vortex and phase dynamics in mesoscopic superconducting devices. pyTDGL can model the nonlinear magnetic response and dynamics of multiply connected films, films with multiple current bias terminals, and films with a spatially inhomogeneous critical temperature. We demonstrate these capabilities by modeling quasi-equilibrium vortex distributions in irregularly shaped films, and the dynamics and current-voltage-field characteristics of nanoscale superconducting quantum interference devices (nanoSQUIDs).

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Central vortex steady states and dynamics of Bose–Einstein condensates interacting with a microwave field

Here we study central vortex steady states and dynamics of a two-dimensional (2D), two-component, Gross–Pitaevskii equation (CGPE) system for two pseudo-spinor Bose Einstein condensates (BECs) interacting with an electromagnetic field (microwave) analytically and numerically. For the central vortex steady state at any given winding number S, we prove its existence in a reduced, single component detuning limit when contact-interaction strength β < β b , and nonexistence when β > β b , respectively, where β b is a threshold value, whose value is given in Theorem 3.1 in the paper. We extend the existence and nonexistence result to the general two pseudo-spinor case and prove that a central vortex steady state exists for any given S if β ≤ β b while it does not exist when β > 2β b . We then derive dynamical equations for some observables (expectations of the matter wave function) such as the center-of-mass, position of dispersion, the linear and angular momentum of the two pseudo-spinor CGPEs. Finally, numerical computations are brought in to validate and extend the existence of vortex steady state results to β b ≤ β < 2β b for the two pseudo-spinor case and to explore transient dynamics of the observables.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Vortex Ordering and Dynamics of Santa Fe Artificial Ice Pinning Arrays

We numerically examine the ordering, pinning, and flow of superconducting vortices interacting with a Santa Fe artificial ice pinning array. We find that as a function of magnetic field and pinning density, a wide variety of vortex states occur, including ice rule obeying states and labyrinthine patterns. In contrast to square pinning arrays, we find no sharp peaks in the critical current due to the inherent frustration effect imposed by the Santa Fe ice geometry; however, there are some smoothed peaks when the number of vortices matches the number of pinning sites. For some fillings, the Santa Fe array exhibits stronger pinning than the square array due to the suppression of one-dimensional flow channels when the vortex motion in the Santa Fe lattice occurs through the formation of both longitudinal and transverse flow channels.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Identifying Topological Defects in Lamellar Phases through Contour Analysis of Complex Wave Fields

Lamellar phases frequently contain structural imperfections that significantly affect their behaviors and properties. Our previous research successfully reconstructed real-space configurations of defective lamellar phases from diffuse scattering patterns, indicating the presence of phase vortices as a potential method for identifying topological defects disrupting the smectic ordering. Here, this report presents a mathematical framework using regularized wave fields to represent defective lamellar structures in real space. Phase singularities, resulting from the interference of random waves and indicating lamellar order disruption, are identified through a contour integral. These wave fields, derived from coherent scattering in reciprocal space, were validated via computational benchmarks analyzing small-angle neutron scattering data from AOT surfactant solutions, facilitating further statistical analysis of the defects. Our study highlights the potential to extract meaningful information about topological defects in lyotropic phases by inversely analyzing experimentally measured two-point static correlations. Our method allows for detailed structural analysis of various lyotropic phases, both particulate and nonparticulate, in their quiescent states and facilitates quantitative investigation of defects’ role in phase transitions. By integrating small-angle scattering, deep learning, and vortex tangle analysis, our comprehensive approach shows promise in addressing complex challenges in the structural analysis of soft matter systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Tunable Magnetic Labyrinth for Abrikosov Vortices

We study Abrikosov vortex dynamics in a superconducting layer covered with an array of T- and I-shaped magnetically soft permalloy elements. Application of the in-plane field H // polarizes thin permalloy bars forming the array and creates a periodic network of mutually perpendicular lines of the attractive or repulsive magnetic potential for vortices along the bar edges, which can be easily tuned by the rotation of H // . Magneto-optical imaging of the vortex trajectories confirms that such a reconfigurable magnetic potential dominates the vortex motion in a wide temperature range and can be a useful tool for manipulating vortices in fluxonic devices for low-loss microelectronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Observation of Defect-Assisted Magnetic Vortex Core Reversal at Ultralow Critical Velocity

The stability of structures with nontrivial topology is a subject of great interest, both from fundamental and technological perspectives. The topology of a magnetic vortex, for example, results in high stability of the vortex core polarity, which is attractive for applications. This high stability, however, greatly impedes the required deterministic polarity switching, which is typically only achieved with large magnetic fields or strong dynamic driving. Here, we show that the interaction between the vortex core and manufactured nanoscale defects in the magnetic material lowers the required driving strength for core polarity reversal by more than an order of magnitude. We excite vortex dynamics in thin permalloy disks, and map the twodimensional (2D) vortex core trajectory using 3D time-resolved Kerr microscopy. In pristine samples, we observe normal gyrotropic motion of the vortex core. After laser-induced generation of defects, however, we observe repeated vortex core reversal at much-reduced driving strength. Micromagnetic simulations reveal how local reduction of exchange coupling and saturation magnetization can create vortex core reversal sites for deterministic vortex core switching.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Moving vortices in anisotropic superconductors

The magnetic field of moving vortices in anisotropic superconductors is considered in the framework of the time-dependent London approach. It is found that, at distances large relative to the core size, the field may change sign that alludes to a nontrivial intervortex interaction which depends on the crystal anisotropy and on the speed and direction of motion. These effects are caused by the electric fields and corresponding normal currents which appear due to the moving vortex magnetic structure. We find that the motion related part of the magnetic field attenuates at large distances as 1/r 3 unlike the exponential decay of the static vortex field. The electric field induced by the vortex motion decreases as 1/r 2 .

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗