Direct measurement of single fluxoid dynamics in superconducting rings

Kirtley, J. R.; Tsuei, C. C.; Raffy, H.; Li, Z. Z.; Kogan, V. G.; Clem, J. R.; Moler, K. A.

Direct measurement of single fluxoid dynamics in superconducting rings

Authors

Description

We have measured the dynamics of individual magnetic fluxoids entering and leaving thin film, photolithographically patterned rings of underdoped high-temperature superconductor BSCCO using a variable sample temperature scanning SQUID microscope. These measurements can be understood within a phenomenological model in which the fluxoid number changes by thermal activation of a Pearl vortex in the ring wall. We place upper limits on the "vison" binding energy in these samples from these measurements.
4 pages, 4 figures