Model for magnetic flux pattern induced by in-plane magnetic fields on spatially inhomogeneous superconducting interfaces of LaAlO_3-SrTiO_3

TL;DR

This paper investigates how spatial inhomogeneity and in-plane magnetic fields induce magnetic flux patterns and vortex nucleation in LaAlO_3-SrTiO_3 interfaces with non-centrosymmetric superconductivity.

Contribution

It introduces a model showing how RSOC inhomogeneity leads to local flux patterns and vortex formation under magnetic fields in these interfaces.

Findings

Spatial inhomogeneity causes local magnetic flux patterns.

Strong magnetic fields can nucleate vortices at RSOC inhomogeneities.

Inhomogeneous RSOC influences the superconducting phase behavior.

Abstract

The effect of spatial inhomogeneity on the properties of a two-dimensional non-centrosymmetric superconductor in an in-plane magnetic field is investigated, as it can be realized in LaAlO_3-SrTiO_3 interfaces. We demonstrate that the spatial variation of Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC) yields a local magnetic flux pattern due to the field-induced inhomogeneous helical phase. For sufficiently strong fields, vortices can nucleate at inhomogeneities of the RSOC.