Experimental realization of smectic phase in vortex matter induced by symmetric potentials arranged in two-fold symmetry arrays
arXiv:1506.06942 · doi:10.1088/1367-2630/17/9/093022
Abstract
Smectic order has been generated in superconducting Nb films with two-fold symmetry arrays of symmetric pinning centers. Magnetic fields applied perpendicularly to the films develop a vortex matter smectic phase that is easily detected when the vortices commensurate with the pinning center array. The smectic phase can be turned on and off with external parameters.
15 pages, 5 figures