Rectification effects in superconductors with magnetic pinning centers

We investigate the dynamics and pinning properties of vortices in superconducting Al films deposited on top of a close-packed array of Py microsized loops by electrical transport measurements. The micromagnets have an in-plane magnetic moment that can be set in different magnetic states by applying an external field parallel to the plane of the pattern. When the loops are set in the magnetic vortex-state, for which the stray field is the smallest, a weaker pinning in comparison with the polarized states (i.e. strong stray field) is observed. In addition, a clear influence of the chosen magnetic state of the Py rings on the dynamics of the vortex motion under an ac-excitations is obtained. When the magnetic elements are in the as-grown state a rectification signal which reverses sign when the field changes polarity is observed. In contrast to that, when the array of loops is magnetized the observed rectification effect is independent of the field polarity and can be reversed by reorienting the magnetization of the micromagnets.