Magnetic flux penetration and motion in antiferromagnetic superconductors

TL;DR

This paper reviews how induced spin-flop domains inside vortices in antiferromagnetic superconductors affect flux penetration, surface energy barriers, and flux creep, revealing novel magnetic and superconducting behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of spin-flop domain formation inside vortices and analyzes its impact on flux dynamics and magnetic shielding in antiferromagnetic superconductors.

Findings

Formation of spin-flop domains modifies flux penetration behavior.

Presence of a flux density plateau indicating a second critical field.

Alteration of flux creep regimes from thermal to quantum.

Abstract

The paper reviews a concept of induced spin-flop domain inside vortices in an antiferromagnetic superconductor. Such phenomenon may occur when an external magnetic field is strong enough to flip over magnetic moments in the core of the vortex from their ground state configuration. The formation of the domain structure inside vortices modifies the surface energy barrier of the superconductor. During this process the entrance of the flux is stopped and a newly created state exhibits perfect shielding. Such behavior should be visible as a plateau on the dependence of flux density as a function of the external magnetic field. The end of the plateau determines the critical field, which has been called the second critical field for flux penetration. Moreover, it is predicted and described how this phenomenon modifies flux creep in layered superconductors. The various scenarios of changing the creep regime from thermal to quantum and vice versa at constant temperature are discussed.