Evolution of inhomogeneities in two-dimensional disordered superconductors in a magnetic field

TL;DR

This study investigates how inhomogeneities in superconducting correlations evolve in disordered 2D superconductors under magnetic fields, combining theoretical modeling with scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the crossover from Abrikosov to Josephson vortices in disordered superconductors and correlates theoretical predictions with experimental STS data.

Findings

Impressive agreement between theory and STS experiments.

Identification of vortex crossover from Abrikosov to Josephson.

Guidance for interpreting complex superconductor data.

Abstract

Emerging granularity in superconducting films by tuning disorder is a well-studied topic, both theoretically and experimentally. However, the orbital magnetic field generates a vortex lattice and contributes to the formation of periodic inhomogeneities. Here, we study superconducting films in the simultaneous presence of disorder and a magnetic field, examining how inhomogeneities in various superconducting correlations evolve under these two perturbations. By performing scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) on thin films of \ce{Sr2VO_{3-\text{x}}FeAs} layer structures under both zero and finite orbital magnetic fields, we report impressive similarities between our theoretical results and the experimental findings. Our results have strong implications for identifying the nature of vortices in disordered superconductors, demonstrating a crossover from Abrikosov to Josephson character with increasing disorder, and provide predictive guidance for interpreting STS and current mapping data in complex superconductors.