Abstract: Recent advances in manufacturing arrays of artificial pinning sites, i.e., antidots, blind holes and magnetic dots, allowed an effective control of magnetic flux in superconductors. An array of magnetic bars deposited on top of a superconducting film was shown to display different pinning regimes depending on the direction of the in-plane magnetization of the bars. Changing the sign of their magnetization results in changes in the induced magnetic pinning potentials. By numerically solving the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations in a superconducting film with periodic arrays of zigzag-arranged magnetic bars, we revealed various flux dynamics regimes. In particular, we demonstrate flux pinning and flux flow, depending on the direction of the magnetization of the magnetic bars. Remarkably, the revealed different flux-motion regimes are associated with different mechanisms of vortex-antivortex dynamics. For example, we found that for an 'antiparallel' configuration of magnetic bars this dynamics involves a repeating vortex-antivortex generation and annihilation. We show that the depinning transition and the onset of flux flow can be manipulated by the magnetization of the bars and the geometry of the array. This provides an effective control of the depinning critical current that can be useful for possible fluxonics applications.

Abstract: The possibility of manipulating vortex matter by using various artificial pinning arrays is of significant importance for possible applications in nano and micro fluxonics devices. By numerically solving the time-dependent GinzburgLandau equations, we study the vortexantivortex (vav) dynamics in a hybrid structure consisting of a finite-size superconductor with magnetic dipoles on top which generate vav pairs in the presence of an external current. The vav dynamics is analyzed for different arrangements and magnetic moments of the dipoles, as a function of angle α between the direction of the magnetic dipole and that of the Lorentz force produced by the applied current. The interplay of the attractive interaction between a vav pair and the Lorentz force leads either to the separation of (anti)vortices and their motion in opposite directions or to their annihilation. We found a critical angle αc, below which vortices and antivortices are repelled, while for larger angles they annihilate. In case of a single (few) magnetic dipole(s), this magnetic dipole induced vav guidance is influenced by the self-interaction of the vav pairs with their images in a finite-size sample, while for a periodic array of dipoles the guidance is determined by the interaction of a vav pair with other dipoles and vav pairs created by them. This effect is tunable through the external current and the magnetization and size of the magnetic dipoles.

Abstract: By numerically solving the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations in a type-II superconductor, characterized by a critical temperature T-c1, and the coherence length xi(1), with a channel formed by overlapping rhombuses (diamond-like channel) made of another type-II superconductor, characterized, in general, by different T-c2 and xi(2), we investigate the dynamics of driven vortex matter for varying parameters of the channel: the width of the neck connecting the diamond cells, the cell geometry, and the ratio between the coherence lengths in the bank and the channel. We analyzed samples with periodic boundary conditions (which we call 'infinite' samples) and finite-size samples (with boundaries for vortex entry/exit), and we found that by tuning the channel parameters, one can manipulate the vortex dynamics, e.g., change the transition from flux-pinned to flux-flow regime and tune the slope of the IV-curves. In addition, we analyzed the effect of interstitial vortices on these characteristics. The critical current of this device was studied as a function of the applied magnetic field, j(c)(H). The function j(c)(H) reveals a striking commensurability peak, in agreement with recent experimental observations. The obtained results suggest that the diamond channel, which combines the properties of pinning arrays and flux-guiding channels, can be a promising candidate for potential use in devices controlling magnetic flux motion.

Abstract: Microscopic self-propelled swimmers capable of autonomous navigation through complex environments provide appealing opportunities for localization, pick-up and delivery of micro and nanoscopic objects. Inspired by motile cells and bacteria, man-made microswimmers have been fabricated, and their motion in patterned surroundings has been experimentally studied. We propose to use self-driven artificial microswimmers for the separation of binary mixtures of colloids. We revealed different regimes of separation, including one with a velocity inversion. Our findings could be of use for various biological and medical applications.

Abstract: We study the rectification of vortex motion in an asymmetric ring channel in a Corbino setup. With an applied ac current, the motion of vortices in the channel is rectified by the asymmetric potential and induces a dc net flow. The net flow in such a system strongly depends on vortex density, and we distinguish “single-vortex'' rectification regime (for low density, when each vortex is rectified individually) determined by the potential-energy landscape inside each cell of the channel and ”multi-vortex'', or "collective'', rectification (high density case) when the interaction between vortices becomes important. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: The dynamics of vortex matter in mesoscopic superconducting Corbino disk is strongly influenced by the discrete vortex structure arranged in shells. While in previous works the vortex dynamics has been studied in large (macroscopic) and in very small mesoscopic disks (containing only few shells), in the intermediate-size regime it is much more complex and unusual, due to: (i) the competition between the vortexvortex interaction and confinement and (ii) (in)commensurability among the vortex shells. We found that the interplay between these effects can result in a very unusual vortex dynamical behavior: (i) unconventional angular melting (i.e., propagating from the boundary, where the shear stress is minimum, towards the center) and (ii) unconventional dynamics of shells (i.e., the inversion of shell velocities with respect to the gradient driving force). This unusual behavior is found for different number of shells.

Abstract: We consider magnetic flux moving in superconductors with periodic pinning arrays. We show that sample heating by moving vortices produces negative differential resistivity (NDR) of both N and S type (i.e., N- and S-shaped) in the voltage-current characteristic (VI curve). The uniform flux flow state is unstable in the NDR region of the VI curve. Domain structures appear during the NDR part of the VI curve of an N type, while a filamentary instability is observed for the NDR of an S type. The simultaneous existence of the NDR of both types gives rise to the appearance of striking self-organized (both stationary and nonstationary) two-dimensional dynamical structures.

Abstract: Brownian transport of self-propelled overdamped microswimmers (like Janus particles) in a two-dimensional periodically compartmentalized channel is numerically investigated for different compartment geometries, boundary collisional dynamics, and particle rotational diffusion. The resulting time-correlated active Brownian motion is subject to rectification in the presence of spatial asymmetry. We prove that ratcheting of Janus particles can be orders of magnitude stronger than for ordinary thermal potential ratchets and thus experimentally accessible. In particular, autonomous pumping of a large mixture of passive particles can be induced by just adding a small fraction of Janus particles.

Abstract: The discrete shell structure of vortex matter strongly influences the flux dynamics in mesoscopic superconducting Corbino disks. While the dynamical behavior is well understood in large and in very small disks, in the intermediate-size regime it occurs to be much more complex and unusual, due to (in)commensurability between the vortex shells. We demonstrate unconventional vortex dynamics (inversion of shell velocities with respect to the gradient driving force) and angular melting (propagating from the boundary where the shear stress is minimum, towards the center) in mesoscopic Corbino disks.

Abstract: Nonequilibrium self-organized patterns formed by particles interacting through competing range interaction are driven over a substrate by an external force. We show that, with increasing driving force, the preexisted static patterns evolve into dynamic patterns either via disordered phase or depinned patterns or via the formation of nonequilibrium stripes. Strikingly, the stripes are formed either in the direction of the driving force or in the transverse direction, depending on the pinning strength. The revealed dynamical patterns are summarized in a dynamical phase diagram.

Abstract: Janus particles present an important class of building blocks for directional assembly. These are compartmentalized colloids with two different hemispheres. Here, we consider a two-dimensional model of Janus disks consisting of a hydrophobic semicircle and an electro-negatively charged one. Placed in a solution, the hydrophobic sides will attract each other while the charged sides will give rise to a repulsive force. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we study the morphology of these particles when confined in a channel-like environment using a one dimensional harmonic confinement potential. The interest to this system is first of all due to the fact that it could serve as a simple model for membrane formation. Indeed, the recently synthesized new class of artificial amphiphiles, known as Janus dendrimers, were shown to self-assemble in bilayer structures mimicking biological membranes. In turn, Janus particles that combine the amphiphilicity and colloidal rigidity serve as a good model for Janus dendrimers. A variety of ordered membrane-like morphologies are found consisting of single and multiple chain configurations with different orientations of the particles with respect to each other that we summarize in a phase diagram.

Abstract: Diffusive properties of a monodisperse system of interacting particles confined to a quasi-one-dimensional channel are studied using molecular dynamics simulations. We calculate numerically the mean-squared displacement (MSD) and investigate the influence of the width of the channel (or the strength of the confinement potential) on diffusion in finite-size channels of different shapes (i.e., straight and circular). The transition from single-file diffusion to the two-dimensional diffusion regime is investigated. This transition [ regarding the calculation of the scaling exponent (alpha) of the MSD <Delta x(2)(t)> proportional to t(alpha)] as a function of the width of the channel is shown to change depending on the channel's confinement profile. In particular, the transition can be either smooth (i.e., for a parabolic confinement potential) or rather sharp (i.e., for a hard-wall potential), as distinct from infinite channels where this transition is abrupt. This result can be explained by qualitatively different distributions of the particle density for the different confinement potentials.