Experimental realization of smectic phase in vortex matter induced by symmetric potentials arranged in two-fold symmetry arrays

TL;DR

This paper reports the experimental creation of a vortex matter smectic phase in superconducting Nb films with symmetric pinning arrays, demonstrating controllable phase transitions influenced by external parameters.

Contribution

It is the first experimental realization of a vortex smectic phase induced by symmetric two-fold pinning arrays in superconducting films.

Findings

Vortex smectic phase observed in Nb films with symmetric pinning arrays.

The smectic phase can be toggled on and off using external parameters.

The phase appears when vortices are commensurate with the pinning array.

Abstract

Smectic order has been generated in superconducting Nb films with two-fold symmetry arrays of symmetric pinning centers. Magnetic fields applied perpendicularly to the films develop a vortex matter smectic phase that is easily detected when the vortices commensurate with the pinning center array. The smectic phase can be turned on and off with external parameters.