Spontaneous vortex formation on a superconductor film

TL;DR

This paper uses numerical simulations to study how vortices spontaneously form in a superconductor film during rapid cooling, highlighting the electromagnetic field's crucial role and implications for cosmic defect formation.

Contribution

It demonstrates the importance of electromagnetic fields in vortex formation during superconducting quenches, extending understanding beyond superfluid analogies and cosmic defect theories.

Findings

Fast quenches show near-perfect agreement with flux trapping predictions.

Electromagnetic fields significantly influence vortex formation dynamics.

Results provide insights into cosmic defect formation in the early universe.

Abstract

We carry out numerical simulations to investigate spontaneous vortex formation during a temperature quench of a superconductor film from the normal to the superconducting phase in the absence of an external magnetic field. Our results agree roughly with quantitative predictions of the flux trapping scenario: In fast quenches the agreement is almost perfect, but there appears to be some discrepancy in slower ones. In particular, our simulations demonstrate the crucial role the electromagnetic field plays in this phenomenon, making it very different from vortex formation in superfluids. Besides superconductor experiments, our findings also shed more light on the possible formation of cosmic defects in the early universe.