Magnetic Blockade Mechanism for Quantum Nucleation of Superconducting Vortex-Antivortex Pairs in Zero External Magnetic Field

TL;DR

This paper introduces a magnetic blockade model for quantum vortex pair nucleation in high-temperature superconductors, explaining critical current behavior and vortex tunneling phenomena without external magnetic fields.

Contribution

It proposes a novel magnetic dual of Coulomb blockade for vortex pairs, linking topological theta terms to superconducting vortex dynamics and providing quantitative agreement with experimental data.

Findings

Predicts a sharp pair creation threshold current at θ=π

Explains thickness dependence of critical currents in HTS

Forecasts non-sinusoidal voltage oscillations due to vortex tunneling

Abstract

We propose a magnetic dual of the Coulomb blockade effect for quantum nucleation of flux vortex pairs in high-Tc superconducting (HTS) films and grain boundaries in zero applied field. The magnetic blockade instability occurs at {\theta} = {\pi}, where {\theta} is the "vacuum" or theta angle. The {\theta} term has recently been discussed in the context of several other systems, including charge and spin density waves, topological insulators, the quantum Hall effect, and spontaneous CP violation. Our model predicts a sharp pair creation threshold current at {\theta} = {\pi}, analogous to the Coulomb blockade voltage of a tunnel junction, and explains the observed thickness dependence of critical currents in HTS coated conductors. We use the Schr\"odinger equation to compute the evolving macrostate amplitudes, coupled by a generalized tunneling matrix element. The simulations yield excellent quantitative agreement with measured voltage-current characteristics of bi-crystal and other HTS grain boundary junctions. The model also predicts non-sinusoidal behavior in the voltage oscillations resulting from time-correlated vortex tunneling.