Transverse depinning in strongly driven vortex lattices with disorder

TL;DR

This study uses numerical simulations to explore how vortex lattices in superconductors resist transverse motion under strong driving forces, revealing a finite barrier that diminishes with increasing defects and correlates with specific noise signatures.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of a finite transverse depinning barrier in defect-free, strongly driven vortex lattices and links this to observed noise signatures and lattice dynamics.

Findings

Finite transverse depinning barrier exists in defect-free, strongly driven vortex lattices.

Barrier decreases as defects form and disappears in plastic flow regime.

Transverse motion exhibits staircase pattern with narrow-band voltage noise.

Abstract

Using numerical simulations we investigate the transverse depinning of moving vortex lattices interacting with random disorder. We observe a finite transverse depinning barrier for vortex lattices that are driven with high longitudinal drives, when the vortex lattice is defect free and moving in correlated 1D channels. The transverse barrier is reduced as the longitudinal drive is decreased and defects appear in the vortex lattice, and the barrier disappears in the plastic flow regime. At the transverse depinning transition, the vortex lattice moves in a staircase pattern with a clear transverse narrow-band voltage noise signature.