Scanning SQUID Microscope Study of Vortex Polygons and Shells in Weak Pinning Disks of an Amorphous Superconducting Film

TL;DR

This study uses scanning SQUID microscopy to observe vortex arrangements in amorphous superconducting disks, revealing geometry-induced patterns and their evolution with magnetic field, consistent with theoretical models.

Contribution

It provides direct experimental visualization of vortex polygons and shells in weak pinning disks, highlighting geometry effects and symmetry modifications.

Findings

Vortex polygons and shells form in weak pinning disks.

Vortex patterns evolve with magnetic field and disk size.

Unique line symmetry affects vortex shell filling rules.

Abstract

Direct observation of vortices by the scanning SQUID microscopy was made on large mesoscopic disks of an amorphous MoGe thin film. Owing to the weak pinning nature of the amorphous film, vortices are able to form geometry induced, (quasi-)symmetric configurations of polygons and concentric shells in the large disks. Systematic measurements made on selected disks allow us to trace not only how the vortex pattern evolves with magnetic field, but also how the vortex polygons change in size and rotate with respect to the disk center. The results are in good agreement with theoretical considerations for mesoscopic disks with sufficiently large diameter. A series of vortex images obtained in a disk with a pinning site reveals a unique line symmetry in vortex configurations, resulting in modifications of the shell filling rule and the magic number.