Current driven vortex dynamics in the Corbino disk

Abstract

To study the shear rigidity of vortex systems, we simulate the radial current driven vortex dynamics in the two-dimensional Corbino disk geometry of type-II superconductors. The radial currents in the disk induce the spatially inhomogeneous Lorentz force, yielding the local shear stress to the vortex lattice. Molecular dynamics simulations of a point vortex model demonstrate that (1) at low currents the vortices rotate as a rigid solid, (2) at large currents the vortices move freely as a liquid, (3) at intermediate currents the complicated plastic slippage of neighboring annular section of the vortex array occurs, and (4) temperature effects enhance the plastic slippage events.