Flokstra, MG, Stewart, R, Satchell, N et al. (7 more authors) (2018) Observation of anomalous Meissner screening in Cu/Nb and Cu/Nb/Co thin films. Physical Review Letters, 120 (24). 247001. ISSN 0031-9007
Abstract
We have observed the spatial distribution of magnetic flux in Nb, Cu/Nb and Cu/Nb/Co thin films using muon-spin rotation. In an isolated 50 nm thick Nb film we find a weak flux expulsion (Meissner effect) which becomes significantly enhanced when adding an adjacent 40 nm layer of Cu. The added Cu layer exhibits a Meissner effect (due to induced superconducting pairs) and is at least as effective as the Nb to expel flux. These results are confirmed by theoretical calculations using the quasiclassical Green’s function formalism. An unexpected further significant enhancement of the flux expulsion is observed when adding a thin (2.4 nm) ferromagnetic Co layer to the bottom side of the Nb. This observed cooperation between superconductivity and ferromagnetism, by an unknown mechanism, forms a key ingredient for developing superconducting spintronics.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2018 American Physical Society. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Physical Review Letters. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | superconductivity; proximity effects; superconducting spintronics; muon-spin-rotation; solid state physics |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Physics and Astronomy (Leeds) > Condensed Matter (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number EPSRC EP/I000933/1 EPSRC EP/J010634/1 EU - European Union 743791 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 16 May 2018 16:18 |
Last Modified: | 22 Jun 2018 13:01 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Physical Society |
Identification Number: | 10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.247001 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:130938 |