Vortex Quasi-Crystals

TL;DR

This paper proposes the existence of vortex quasi-crystals in superconductors, a new phase of vortex matter stabilized by boundary effects, with phase transitions influenced by magnetic field, temperature, and sample size.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of vortex quasi-crystals and discusses their stabilization and phase transitions in relation to sample shape and size.

Findings

Vortex quasi-crystals are stabilized by boundary and surface energy effects.

A phase transition between vortex crystal and vortex quasi-crystal occurs with changing magnetic field and temperature.

Sample size reduction influences the vortex matter phase.

Abstract

There seems to be a one to one correspondence between the phases of atomic and molecular matter (AMOM) and vortex matter (VM) in superconductors. Crystals, liquids and glasses have been experimentally observed in both AMOM and VM. However, quasi-crystals also exist in AMOM, thus a new phase of vortex matter is proposed here: the vortex quasi-crystal. It is argued that vortex quasi-crystals are stabilized due to boundary and surface energy effects for samples of special shapes and sizes, and that a phase transition between a vortex crystal and a vortex quasi-crystal occurs as a function of magnetic field and temperature as the sample size is reduced.