Flux pinning in superconducting multilayer 2H-NbSe$_2$ nano-step junction

TL;DR

This study investigates vortex dynamics and flux pinning in atomically thin multilayer 2H-NbSe$_2$ superconductors with step junctions, revealing how surface-$\Delta ext{kappa}$ pinning centers influence vortex behavior and supercurrent properties.

Contribution

It demonstrates the fabrication and analysis of high-quality 2H-NbSe$_2$ step junctions, elucidating vortex phase transitions and pinning mechanisms in layered 2D superconductors.

Findings

Supercurrent observed below 6.6 K with high residual resistance ratio.

Vortex phase transitions induced by viscous dynamics in the junction.

Pinning force attributed to surface-$\Delta ext{kappa}$ centers, modeled by Dew-Hughes.

Abstract

Superconductors exhibit dissipationless supercurrents even under finite bias and magnetic field conditions, provided these remain below the critical values. However, type-II superconductors in the flux flow regime display Ohmic dissipation arising from vortex dynamics under finite magnetic fields. The interplay between supercurrent and Ohmic dissipation in a type-II superconductor is dictated by vortex motion and the robustness of vortex pinning forces. In this study, we present an experimental investigation of the superconducting phase transitions and vortex dynamics in the atomically thin type-II superconductor 2H-NbSe$_2$. We fabricated a high-quality multilayer 2H-NbSe$_2$ with a step junction, demonstrating supercurrent in clean limit below a critical temperature of 6.6 K and a high residual resistance ratio of 17. The upper critical field was estimated to be 4.5 T and the Ginzburg-Landau coherence length 8.6 nm. Additionally, we observed phase transitions induced by vortex viscous dynamics in the 2H-NbSe$_2$ step junction. Analysis of the pinning force density using the Dew-Hughes model indicates that the pinning force in the 2H-NbSe$_2$ device can be attributed to step junction, related to the surface-$\Delta\kappa$ type of pinning centers. Our findings pave the way for engineering pinning forces by introducing artificial pinning centers through partial atomic thickness variation in layered 2D superconductors while minimizing unwanted quality degradation in the system.