Commensurability Effects at Nonmatching Fields for Vortices in Diluted Periodic Pinning Arrays

TL;DR

This study uses simulations to show that diluted periodic pinning arrays in superconductors maintain strong commensurability effects and enhance critical current over a wide range of magnetic fields, even with high dilution levels.

Contribution

It reveals that diluted periodic pinning arrays sustain commensurability effects and critical current enhancement at high dilution levels, which was not previously known.

Findings

Pronounced commensurability effects at undiluted and diluted arrays

Critical current enhancement persists up to 90% dilution

Effects occur at fields higher than the matching field

Abstract

Using numerical simulations, we demonstrate that superconductors containing periodic pinning arrays which have been diluted through random removal of a fraction of the pins have pronounced commensurability effects at the same magnetic field strength as undiluted pinning arrays. The commensuration can occur at fields significantly higher than the matching field, produces much greater critical current enhancement than a random pinning arrangement due to suppresion of vortex channeling, and persists for arrays with up to 90% dilution. These results suggest that diluted periodic pinning arrays may be a promising geometry to increase the critical current in superconductors over a wide magnetic field range.