Nematically Templated Vortex Lattices in Superconducting FeSe

Nano Lett. 2023 Apr 12;23(7):2822-2830. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00125. Epub 2023 Mar 20.

Abstract

New pathways to controlling the morphology of superconducting vortex lattices─and their subsequent dynamics─are required to guide and scale vortex world-lines into a computing platform. We have found that the nematic twin boundaries align superconducting vortices in the adjacent terraces due to the incommensurate potential between vortices surrounding twin boundaries and those trapped within them. With the varying density and morphology of twin boundaries, the vortex lattice assumes several distinct structural phases, including square, regular, and irregular one-dimensional lattices. Through concomitant analysis of vortex lattice models, we have inferred the characteristic energetics of the twin boundary potential and furthermore predicted the existence of geometric size effects as a function of increasing confinement by the twin boundaries. These findings extend the ideas of directed control over vortex lattices to intrinsic topological defects and their self-organized networks, which have direct implications for the future design and control of strain-based topological quantum computing architectures.

Keywords: FeSe; Langevin dynamics simulation; scanning tunneling microscope; templated vortex lattice; twin boundary; vortex.