Abrikosov vortex

In superconductivity, an Abrikosov vortex (also called quantum vortex or a fluxon) is a vortex of supercurrent in a type-II superconductor, used by Soviet physicist Alexei Abrikosov to explain magnetic behavior of type-II superconductors in 1957. Abrikosov vortices occur generically in the Ginzburg–Landau theory of superconductivity.

Overview

The solution is a combination of fluxon solution by Fritz London, combined with a concept of core of quantum vortex by Lars Onsager.

In the quantum vortex, supercurrent circulates around the normal (i.e. non-superconducting) core of the vortex. The core has a size

∼

ξ

{\displaystyle \sim \xi }

— the superconducting coherence length (parameter of a Ginzburg–Landau theory). The supercurrents decay on the distance about

λ

{\displaystyle \lambda }

(London penetration depth) from the core. Note that in type-II superconductors

λ

>

ξ

/

2

{\displaystyle \lambda >\xi /{\sqrt {2}}}

. The circulating supercurrents induce magnetic fields with the total flux equal to a single flux quantum

Φ

0

{\displaystyle \Phi _{0}}

. Therefore, an Abrikosov vortex is often called a fluxon.