Zusammenfassung
We measured and compared the electric field vs current density characteristics in the vortex state of two amorphous Nb0.7Ge0.3 microbridges, with and without a line of submicron holes patterned along the sample axis. The power dissipation in the perforated sample exhibits a crossover, being reduced at temperatures well below the superconducting transition temperature T-c and unexpectedly enhanced ...
Zusammenfassung
We measured and compared the electric field vs current density characteristics in the vortex state of two amorphous Nb0.7Ge0.3 microbridges, with and without a line of submicron holes patterned along the sample axis. The power dissipation in the perforated sample exhibits a crossover, being reduced at temperatures well below the superconducting transition temperature T-c and unexpectedly enhanced close to T-c. At low temperatures the holes are efficient artificial pinning centers and reduce the average vortex velocity. We argue that the dissipation enhancement close to T-c is a consequence of a combination of the weakened pinning by the holes and an inhomogeneous driving-current distribution in their vicinity, which results in an increased average vortex velocity as well as in a channeling of the vortex motion through the holes.