Intrinsic vortex pinning in superconducting quasicrystals

We numerically show that a vortex pinning occurs in a superconducting quasicrystal without impurities and defects. This vortex pinning is intrinsic since the superconducting order parameter in quasicrystals is always inhomogeneous due to the lack of the translational symmetry. We propose that experiments influenced by vortex pinning effects can detect the atomic-scale inhomogeneous superconducting order parameter in quasicrystals. We develop a numerical method to solve the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations and gap equations in large systems, which is based on the localized-Krylov subspace and a sparse modeling technique. Two two-dimensional quasicrystals, the Penrose and Amman-Beenker tiling, are considered.

Automated summary

A numerical study reveals the presence of vortex pinning in a superconducting quasicrystal without impurities and defects, attributed to the lack of translational symmetry leading to intrinsic inhomogeneity in the superconducting order parameter. Experimental detection of atomic-scale inhomogeneous superconducting order parameter in quasicrystals influenced by vortex pinning effects is proposed.