Non-conventional vortex configurations in a mesoscopic flat disk

The influence of superficial defects on the vortex configurations of a thin superconducting disk is investigated within the time dependent Ginzburg–Landau formalism. The free energy, magnetization, vorticity, and the Cooper pair density are calculated for both metastable and stable vortex configurations and different number of defects on its surface in the presence of an external magnetic field applied perpendicular to the disk area. We show that the competition between the confinement geometry and the geometric position of the defects leads to non-conventional vortex configurations which are not compatible with the symmetry of the sample geometry.

► We study the influence of defects on the vortex configurations in a mesoscopic disk. ► We found new vortex configurations. ► We found stable vortex states for different number of defects on the disk.