Carsten Timm: Theory of superconductivity
Carsten Timm: Theory of superconductivity
Carsten Timm: Theory of superconductivity
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has a simple interpretation: It is the number <strong>of</strong> flux quanta passing through a rectangular unit cell <strong>of</strong> the vortex<br />
lattice.<br />
The vortex lattice is a rather complex system: It is a lattice <strong>of</strong> interacting lines with a line tension ϵ v . At<br />
non-zero temperatures, the vortices fluctuate, which can lead to the melting <strong>of</strong> the vortex lattice. The resulting<br />
vortex liquid can be pictured as a pot <strong>of</strong> boiling spaghetti, with the constraint that the vortex lines must either<br />
terminate at the surface or form closed loops (!). Moving vortices lead to ohmic resistance, even though most <strong>of</strong><br />
the sample is still superconducting. To complicate matters, interaction <strong>of</strong> vortices with defects (“pinning”) plays<br />
an important role. There is an extensive research literature on vortex matter, which we cannot review here.<br />
H<br />
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