Observation of Vortex Dynamics in Superconductors via a Levitated Magnet

Levitation of macroscopic particles in vacuum has become a widely used tool at the frontier of science and engineering. The ability to precisely manipulate and measure both the translational and rotational motion of such particles—approaching the standard quantum limit—has advanced these systems toward quantum-limited sensing. In this talk, I will present the observation of vortex dynamics in a type-II superconductor revealed through magnetically levitated magnets. Specifically, we levitated a micron-sized magnet above a YBCO superconductor under field-cooling conditions. The motion of the magnet is strongly coupled to the motion of vortices; thus, variations in the frequency, dissipation, and energy of the mechanical motion directly reflect changes in the vortex pinning potential. Furthermore, by controlling the vortex pinning landscape with an external magnetic field, we observed unusual energy-dependent energy decay. Our work introduces a novel platform for probing superconducting dissipation at the atomic scale and opens new avenues for applications in condensed matter physics and fundamental science.