Abstract
We have applied polarized neutron reflectometry, and novel SQUID and vibrating reed magnetometry to probe a [Nb(23 nm)/Ni(5 nm)]5 multilayer (ML) whose superconducting state magnetic anisotropy is dominated by confined (in-plane) supercurrents in DC magnetic fields, H, applied nearly parallel to the ML plane. The upper critical field exhibits abrupt shifts (0.1-0.6 K) in near-parallel fields, but is field-independent for μ0H < 0.8 T when the ML is exactly aligned with the DC field, indicating suppression of orbital pairbreaking and the possible presence of unconventional superconducting pairing states.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 523-530 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Physica C: Superconductivity and its Applications |
Volume | 468 |
Issue number | 7-10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 1 2008 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Research at the University of Kentucky was supported by U.S. DoE Grant #DE-FG02-97ER45653 and Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation Grant #KSEF-148-502-03-49. A.G.J. was supported as a BOYSCAST Fellow of Indian Ministry of Science and Technology, Grant No. SR/BY/P-01/04. Prof. Jose L. Vicent of the Universidad Complutense, Madrid, contributed Nb/Ni ML for this work.
Keywords
- Magnetic multilayers
- Mesoscopic superconductors
- Neutron reflectometry
- Superconducting critical field
- Superconducting multilayers
- Superconducting phase diagrams
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Energy Engineering and Power Technology
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering