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Dissociation of vortex stacks into fractional-flux vortices

A. De Col·V. B. Geshkenbein·G. Blatter
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Abstract

We discuss the zero field superconducting phase transition in a finite system of magnetically coupled superconducting layers. Transverse screening is modified by the presence of other layers resulting in topological excitations with fractional flux. Vortex stacks trapping a full flux and present at any finite temperature undergo an evaporation transition which corresponds to the depairing of fractional-flux vortices in individual layers. We propose an experiment with a bi-layer system allowing us to identify the dissociation of bound vortex molecules.

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A. De Col, V. B. Geshkenbein, G. Blatter. 2005-03-03. Dissociation of vortex stacks into fractional-flux vortices. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.94.097001

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