Duality Breaking of Vortex Configuration in a Hierarchical Honeycomb Network

TL;DR

This study investigates how hierarchical structures in a honeycomb superconducting network affect vortex configurations, revealing duality breaking through asymmetric Little-Parks oscillations despite preserved spatial symmetry.

Contribution

It demonstrates that hierarchy induces duality breaking in vortex configurations, evidenced by asymmetric oscillations, a novel insight into hierarchical superconducting networks.

Findings

Asymmetric Little-Parks oscillation observed about Φ/Φ₀=1/2

Hierarchy causes mixture of commensurate and incommensurate regions

Duality of vortex configuration is broken in hierarchical networks

Abstract

We report measurements of Little-Parks oscillation on the hierarchical honeycomb-superconducting network for investigating possible effects of hierarchical structure in terms of spatial symmetry, parity and duality. We observed an asymmetric Little-Parks oscillation about $\Phi/\Phi_0 = 1/2$, although spatial symmetry was kept in the network. In comparison with a regular honeycomb network, the asymmetric oscillation is attributed to hierarchy which induces mixture of commensurate and incommensurate regions. The asymmetric oscillation is found to indicate breaking of the duality of vortex configuration.