Vortex dynamics and matching effect in superconductors with planar pinning arrays

Abstract

We have studied the dynamics of vortices interacting with periodic planar pinning arrays using molecular dynamics simulation. We consider three types of periodic pinning arrays consisting of long (L) and short (S) pinning intervals. Current–voltage curves and critical currents have been calculated as a function of vortex density for each pinning array model. Compared to the model with equally spaced pinning array, the models in which L/S is 2 show higher critical currents in certain vortex density range. This behavior comes from the appearance of broad matching peaks in the presence of planar pinning arrays. Meanwhile, in the models in which L/S is 1.618, the appearances of some of the matching peaks are suppressed because of the mismatch between the pinning interval and the vortex lattice constant. Thus, compared to the equally spaced model, the critical currents in this model are low in wide ranges of vortex density. On the basis of these results, we have discussed the matching effect in the presence of periodic arrays of planar pinning.