Planar superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids: Anisotropy of resistivity induced by magnetic templates

TL;DR

This study experimentally demonstrates that magnetic domain structures in ferromagnetic substrates can induce superconducting channels in a superconductor, resulting in significant resistivity anisotropy due to supercurrent pathways along domain walls.

Contribution

It reveals how magnetic domain structures in ferromagnetic substrates can control superconducting transport properties, introducing a new way to manipulate superconductivity.

Findings

Superconducting channels form above magnetic domains.

Resistivity anisotropy is significantly enhanced.

Supercurrent pathways align with magnetic domain walls.

Abstract

We investigated experimentally the transport properties of a superconducting cross-shaped aluminium microbridge fabricated on top of ferromagnetic BaFe12O19 single crystal. It was demonstrated that a one-dimensional domain structure in the ferromagnetic substrate can induce the formation of superconducting channels above magnetic domains. This leads to a giant anisotropy of resistivity of the superconducting bridge, caused by the appearance of continuous paths of supercurrents flowing along domain walls.