Modelling nonlocal electrodynamics in superconducting films: The case of a concave corner

TL;DR

This paper models magnetic flux penetration in superconducting films with concave corners using numerical flux creep simulations, revealing unique current patterns and high electric fields, and validates findings with experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical approach to model nonlocal electrodynamics at concave corners in superconducting films, highlighting the importance of nonlocal effects.

Findings

Current stream lines are nearly circular at the concave corner.

Electric fields are very high at the concave corner.

Simulation results match magneto-optical experimental data.

Abstract

We consider magnetic flux penetration in a superconducting film with a concave corner. Unlike convex corners, where the current flow pattern is easily constructed from Bean's critical state model, the current flow pattern at a concave corner is highly nontrivial. To address the problem, we do a numerical flux creep simulation, where particular attention is paid to efficient handling of the non-local electrodynamics, characteristic of superconducting films in the transverse geometry. We find that the current stream lines at the concave corner are close to circular, but the small deviation from exact circles ensure that the electric field is finite and continuous. Yet, the electric field is, as expected, very high at the concave corner. At low fields, the critical state penetration is deeper from the concave corner than from the straight edges, which is a consequence of the electrodynamic non-locality. A magneto-optical experiment on a YBCO displays an almost perfect match with the magnetic flux distribution from the simulation, hence verifying the necessity of including electrodynamic non-locality in the modelling of superconducting thin films.