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Instability of the flux‐line lattice in a type‐II superconductor containing planar imperfections
Author(s) -
Brandt E. H.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/pssb.2220840228
Subject(s) - condensed matter physics , flux pinning , planar , lattice (music) , superconductivity , type ii superconductor , instability , physics , flux (metallurgy) , materials science , mechanics , high temperature superconductivity , computer science , acoustics , metallurgy , computer graphics (images)
Abstract The pinning forces exerte dby a planar imperfection on the flux lines in a type‐II superconductor are calculated from the Ginzburg‐Landau theory. The elastic strains caused by this imperfection in the flux line lattice are found to diverge at large inductions. As a consequence, even rather thin planar inclusions or grain boundaries lead to a breakdown of elastic linearity and to a trapping of flux lines by the imperfection as the induction is increased. This result does not require a vanishing shear modulus of the flux‐line lattice but is due entirely to the nonlocal character of the elastic behaviour of the lattice. It may explain in certain cases the observed peak in the volume pinning force at large inductions.