Chip-Integrated Vortex Manipulation

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates precise control and manipulation of Abrikosov vortices using patterned Nb loops and SQUID-on-Tip microscopy, enabling reliable vortex shuttling and winding operations crucial for future quantum circuitry.

Contribution

It introduces a scalable method for controlling multiple vortices with high precision using Nb loops, advancing vortex-based quantum information processing.

Findings

Vortices can be positioned with better than 100 nm precision.

Vortices can be moved over distances up to 3 μm.

Successful demonstration of vortex winding operations.

Abstract

Abrikosov Vortices have long been considered as means to encode classical information in low-temperature logic circuits (1) and memory devices (2-4). Although it is possible to control individual vortices using local probes (5-11), scalability towards the control of of multiple vortices remains challenging. Vortex logic devices require means to shuttle selected vortices reliably over long distances between engineered pinning potentials. Concomitantly, all other vortices should remains fixed to their precise locations. Here we demonstrate such capabilities using Nb loops patterned below a NbSe$_2$ layer. SQUID-on-Tip (SOT) microscopy reveals that the loops can position vortices in sites designated to a precision better than 100 nm; they can realize "push" and "pull" operations of vortices as far as 3$\mu$m. Successive application of such operations shuttles a vortex between adjacent loops. Our results may be used as means to integrate vortices in future quantum circuitry. Strikingly, we are able to demonstrate a winding operation. Such winding, if realized in topological superconductors, is considered an essential part of future topological quantum information processing (12-17).