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

ORAL · Invited

Abstract

Vortices in superconductors typically carry exactly one quantum of magnetic flux. Here we use SQUID microscopy to investigate isolated vortices in the hole-overdoped Ba1−xKxFe2As2 (x = 0.77). In many locations, we observed vortices that carried only part of a flux quantum, with a magnitude that varied continuously with temperature. These features may be quantum vortices with non-universally quantized (fractional) magnetic flux whose magnitude is determined by the temperature-dependent parameters of a multiband superconductor.

* This work was primarily supported by the Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, under contract no. DE- AC02-76SF00515.

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Publication: Y. Iguchi et al, Superconducting vortices carrying a temperature-dependent fraction of the flux quantum. Science 380,1244-1247 (2023). DOI:10.1126/science.abp9979

Presenters

  • Yusuke Iguchi

    Stanford University, Stanford university

Authors

  • Kathryn A Moler

    Stanford University, Stanford Univ

  • Yusuke Iguchi

    Stanford University, Stanford university