Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) studies of the vortex lattice in type II superconductors

The last 15 years or so have seen a number of important published studies of the vortex lattice (VL) in type II superconductors. Superconductors are a complex and diverse range of materials such as the high-temperature superconductors (e.g. YBa2Cu3O7−δ, Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ, La2−xSrxCuO4+δ, Nd2−xCexCuO4+δ), magnetically ordered ([rare-earth]Ni2B2C), two-band (MgB2, NbSe2), heavy-fermion and unconventional materials (CeCoIn5, UPt3, PrOs4Sb12, Sr2RuO4), non-local superconductors ([RE]Ni2B2C, V3Si, Ca3Rh4Sn13), as well as ‘classic’ materials such as Nb. Phenomena such as non-locality, order parameter symmetry, multi-component superconductivity, VL melting, static and dynamic response of the VL to driving forces and disorder are topical and continue to be investigated. Here we present a summary of some of these works.