Method and apparatus for enhancing vortex pinning by conformal crystal arrays
AssigneesUniversity of Notre Dame du Lac, Los Alamos National Laboratory
InventorsBoldizsar Janko, Cynthia Reichhardt, Charles Reichhardt, Dipanjan Ray
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for strongly enhancing vortex pinning by conformal crystal arrays. The conformal crystal array is constructed by a conformal transformation of a hexagonal lattice, producing a non-uniform structure with a gradient where the local six-fold coordination of the pinning sites is preserved, and with an arching effect. The conformal pinning arrays produce significantly enhanced vortex pinning over a much wider range of field than that found for other vortex pinning geometries with an equivalent number of vortex pinning sites, such as random, square, and triangular.
Claims24
A vortex pinning array comprising:
- a superconducting material including a surface, a perimeter, and an interior thereof;
- and
- a plurality of defects formed in the surface of the superconducting material at a plurality of vortex pinning sites, wherein the plurality of vortex pinning sites are patterned according to a conformal transformation of a polygonal lattice.
A method of creating a vortex pinning array in a superconductor comprising:
- providing a superconducting material including a surface, a perimeter and an interior thereof;
- and
- forming a plurality of defects in the surface of the superconducting material at a plurality of vortex pinning sites, wherein the plurality of vortex pinning sites are patterned on the surface of the superconducting material according to a conformal transformation of a polygonal lattice.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.