arXiv subjects

Takumi Murakami

Publications and source records attributed to Takumi Murakami.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Direct Observation of Vortices and Antivortices Generation in Phase-Separated Superconductor Sn-Pb Solder

Quantized vortices in type-II superconductors provide insights into the mechanisms of superconductivity. However, the generation of antivortices, characterized by magnetization antiparallel to the external magnetic field, remains less understood. In this study, we investigate Sn-Pb solder, a superconductor with phase-separated Sn and Pb phases, and report the observation of both vortices and antivortices. Scanning SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) microscopy revealed the presence of both vortices and antivortices, while magneto-optical imaging demonstrated flux avalanches. Our results demonstrate that Sn in Sn-Pb solder behaves as a type-II superconductor when magnetic fluxes are trapped, despite bulk Sn being a type-I superconductor with a transition temperature (TcSn) of 3.7 K. Our findings suggest that the size effect and proximity effect with Pb contribute synergistically to induce type-II superconductivity in Sn Notably, vortices were observed at temperatures as high as 5 K, exceeding the bulk TcSn. Furthermore, the interplay between the type-I superconducting Pb phase and the type-II superconducting Sn phase results in the generation of antivortices, providing a mechanism to accommodate excess magnetic flux. This study shed light on new research on composites combining type-I and type-II superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Nonvolatile magneto-thermal switching driven by vortex trapping in commercial In-Sn solder

Magneto-thermal switching (MTS) is a key technology for efficient thermal management. Recently, large MTS with nonvolatility has been observed in Sn-Pb solders [H. Arima et al., Commun. Mater. 5, 34 (2024)] where phase separation, different superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of Sn and Pb, and magnetic-flux trapping are the causes of the nonvolatile MTS. To further understand the mechanism and to obtain the strategy for enhancing switching ratio, exploration of new phase-separated superconductors with nonvolatile MTS is needed. Here, we show that the In52-Sn48 commercial solder is a phase-separated superconducting composite with two Tc and traps vortices after field cooling. A clear signature of nonvolatile MTS was observed at T = 2.5 K. From specific heat analyses, we conclude that the vortices are mainly trapped in the lower-Tc phase (γ-phase) after field cooling, which is the evidence that vortex trapping also works on achieving nonvolatile MTS in phase-separated superconducting composites.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Large self-heating by trapped-flux reduction in Sn-Pb solders

Magnetic flux trapping in field-cooled (FC) Sn-Pb solders has been recently studied because of the observation of nonvolatile magneto-thermal switching [H. Arima et al., Commun. Mater. 5, 34 (2024)] and anomalous magnetic field-temperature (H-T) phase diagrams [T. Murakami et al., AIP Adv. 13, 125008 (2023)]. In this paper, we investigate the origin of the anomalously low specific heat (C) in Sn10-Pb90 and Sn45-Pb55 solders after FC at H = 1500 Oe. We show that the FC solders exhibit self-heating possibly caused by the flux flow during the reduction of trapped fluxes when heating the sample during the C measurements. The T dependence of T rise clearly exhibits unexpectedly large values when the low-C states are observed. In addition, the cause of the transition-like behavior in C-T of FC solders are explained by local heating during H control and flux-jump phenomena.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Influence of trapped magnetic field of Sn-Pb solders on electrical resistivity measurement: an example of superconducting transition of Sn

We examined the affection of the flux-trapped states of Sn60-Pb40 solders on superconducting properties of a Sn wire. The temperature dependence of electrical resistivity at H = 0 Oe after zero-field cooling (ZFC) showed a sharp superconducting transition at T = 3.7 K. In contrast, that after field cooling (FC) resulted in broadening of the transition. The difference between ZFC and FC data evidences critical affection of trapped fluxes at solders on superconducting states. We propose that, in electrical measurements where magnetic fields of several hundred Oe are critical, field experience should be seriously considered when using solders.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Vortex formation and exotic superconducting states in field-cooled Sn-Pb solders

Formation of vortices is a typical phenomenon of type-II superconductors under magnetic fields (H). In contrast, type-I superconductors do not host vortices because of their Meissner state. As rare cases, vortices have been observed in intermediate states of type-I superconductors; in addition, the recent observation of type-II superconductivity with vortices in a (originally type-I) Pb crystal film at extremely low temperature (T) under H has opened new pathway to study vortex physics. However, thermodynamic characteristics of such type-II-like superconducting states with vortices in originally type-I element superconductors have not been detected because of the lack of bulk example. In this study, we investigated superconducting states of phase-separated Sn-Pb solders using specific heat and magnetization to reveal magnetic-flux-trapping mechanisms. Here, we show that Sn islands in the Sn-Pb solders exhibit type-II-like superconducting states with vortices when the solders host extremely high magnetic fluxes after field cooling. Furthermore, with increasing T, the amount of trapped flux decreases, and the driving force of the magnetic flux changes from type-II superconducting states of Sn to supercurrent of Pb regions surrounding the Sn islands. The field-cooled Sn-Pb solders are rich in physics of bulk vortex formation and anomalously enhanced supercurrent in element (originally type-I) superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Anomalous Field-Temperature Phase Diagram of Superconductivity in Sn-Pb Solder

Sn-Pb solders are superconducting materials whose Sn and Pb are perfectly phase-separated. Recently, anomalous magnetic-flux trapping in a Sn45-Pb55 solder has been revealed where the magnetic fluxes are selectively trapped in the Sn regions due to the supercurrents in the surrounding Pb regions. Here, we report on the observation of the anomalous critical field (Hc)-temperature (T) phase diagram of superconductivity in the Sn45-Pb55 solder. Although the Hc(T) for the Pb regions decreases with increasing field as in normal type-I superconductors and is consistent with the conventional trend with Hc(0) ~ 800 Oe, the Hc(T) for the Sn regions exhibits anomalous behaviors. The most noticeable trend was observed in the field-cooled (under 1500 Oe) solder. The Hc-T phase diagram for the Sn regions largely varies when the applied external field is reversed, and Tc increases with increasing field amplitude when H < 0 Oe is applied. On the basis of the flux trapping and the observed anomalous Hc-T phase diagrams, we propose that the field-robust superconductivity in the Sn regions is related to the ferromagnetically-aligned magnetic fluxes (or formation of vortices) in the Sn regions of the Sn45-Pb55 solder.

cond-mat.supr-con↗