Real-time imaging of vortex-antivortex annihilation in Bi 2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ single crystals by low temperature scanning hall probe microscopy

Abstract

Vortices in superconductors play an important role in operating limits and applications of the superconductors. Scanning Hall probe microscopes have proven themselves to be quantitative and non-invasive tools for investigating magnetic samples down to 50 nm scale. Penetration of vortices in high quality single crystal Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ superconductor has been studied in real-time with single vortex resolution at 77 K using a low temperature scanning Hall probe microscope (LT-SHPM). Vortices have been observed to be annihilated by the antivortices in small M-H loops.