English

Current-Loop Model for the Intermediate State of Type-I Superconductors

Condensed Matter 2008-02-03 v1 Pattern Formation and Solitons patt-sol

Abstract

A theory is developed of the intricately fingered patterns of flux domains observed in the intermediate state of thin type-I superconductors. The patterns are shown to arise from the competition between the long-range Biot-Savart interactions of the Meissner currents encircling each region and the superconducting-normal surface energy. The energy of a set of such domains is expressed as a nonlocal functional of the positions of their boundaries, and a simple gradient flow in configuration space yields branched flux domains qualitatively like those seen in experiment. Connections with pattern formation in amphiphilic monolayers and magnetic fluids are emphasized.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9411007,
  title  = {Current-Loop Model for the Intermediate State of Type-I Superconductors},
  author = {Raymond E. Goldstein and David P. Jackson and Alan T. Dorsey},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9411007},
  year   = {2008}
}

Comments

11 pages, 2 figs (available from authors), REVTex 3.0

R2 v1 2026-07-22T11:48:27.349Z