arXiv · 0706.2684
Unzipping Vortices in Type-II Superconductors
Abstract
The unzipping of vortex lines using magnetic-force microscopy from extended defects is studied theoretically. We study both the unzipping isolated vortex from common defects, such as columnar pins and twin-planes, and the unzipping of a vortex from a plane in the presence of other vortices. We show, using analytic and numerical methods, that the universal properties of the unzipping transition of a single vortex depend only on the dimensionality of the defect in the presence and absence of disorder. For the unzipping of a vortex from a plane populated with many vortices is shown to be very sensitive to the properties of the vortices in the two-dimensional plane. In particular such unzipping experiments can be used to measure the ``Luttinger liquid parameter'' of the vortices in the plane. In addition we suggest a method for measuring the line tension of the vortex directly using the experiments.
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Yariv Kafri, David R. Nelson, Anatoli Polkovnikov. 2007-06-18. Unzipping Vortices in Type-II Superconductors. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.76.144501
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