Atomic-scale steps enable control of quantum vortices in superconductors

Physicists have identified a method to control quantum vortices within type II superconductors using atomic-scale discontinuities. By utilizing a surface step approximately one atom high, researchers can manipulate the energy landscape that governs vortex movement. This precision allows for the potential rectification of vortex motion, where vortices move more easily in one direction than the opposite.

In type II superconductors, magnetic fields penetrate the material as tiny filaments known as Abrikosov vortices. While these materials conduct electricity without resistance, the movement of these vortices under electrical current can cause energy dissipation and heat, which degrades superconducting performance. Controlling or anchoring these vortices is essential for advancing technologies such as maglev trains, particle accelerators, and advanced medical equipment.

Recent research published in Nature Physics also explores the decoupling limit, where Cooper pairs—the electron pairs responsible for superconductivity—are separated. By overcoming the dynamics of these vortices, scientists aim to push superconductors toward their maximum performance limits and mitigate the fragility of the superconducting state under intense magnetic fields or currents.