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Main Authors: Kniazev, Matvei S., Stepanov, Nikolai A., Skvortsov, Mikhail A.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.11780
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author Kniazev, Matvei S.
Stepanov, Nikolai A.
Skvortsov, Mikhail A.
author_facet Kniazev, Matvei S.
Stepanov, Nikolai A.
Skvortsov, Mikhail A.
contents We investigate the statistical properties of the vortex pinning potential in a thin superconducting film. Modeling intrinsic inhomogeneities by a random-temperature Ginzburg-Landau functional with short-range Gaussian disorder, we derive the pinning landscape $E(\mathbf{R})$ by determining how the vortex core adapts to randomness. Within the hard-core approximation, applicable for weak disorder, the energy landscape exhibits Gaussian statistics. In this regime, the mean areal density of its minima is given by $n_\text{min}\approx(6ξ)^{-2}$, indicating that the typical spacing between neighboring minima is significantly larger than the vortex core size $ξ$. Going beyond the hard-core approximation, we allow the vortex order parameter to relax in response to the inhomogeneities. As a result, the pinning potential statistics become non-Gaussian. We calculate the leading correction due to the core deformation, which reduces the density of minima with a relative magnitude scaling as $(T_c-T)^{-1/2}$.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_11780
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Statistics of the vortex pinning potential in superconducting films
Kniazev, Matvei S.
Stepanov, Nikolai A.
Skvortsov, Mikhail A.
Superconductivity
We investigate the statistical properties of the vortex pinning potential in a thin superconducting film. Modeling intrinsic inhomogeneities by a random-temperature Ginzburg-Landau functional with short-range Gaussian disorder, we derive the pinning landscape $E(\mathbf{R})$ by determining how the vortex core adapts to randomness. Within the hard-core approximation, applicable for weak disorder, the energy landscape exhibits Gaussian statistics. In this regime, the mean areal density of its minima is given by $n_\text{min}\approx(6ξ)^{-2}$, indicating that the typical spacing between neighboring minima is significantly larger than the vortex core size $ξ$. Going beyond the hard-core approximation, we allow the vortex order parameter to relax in response to the inhomogeneities. As a result, the pinning potential statistics become non-Gaussian. We calculate the leading correction due to the core deformation, which reduces the density of minima with a relative magnitude scaling as $(T_c-T)^{-1/2}$.
title Statistics of the vortex pinning potential in superconducting films
topic Superconductivity
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.11780