Vortex shells in mesoscopic triangles of amorphous superconducting thin films

Abstract

Direct observation of vortex states confined in mesoscopic regular triangle dots of amorphous MoGe thin films was made with a scanning superconducting quantum interference device microscope. The observed magnetic images illustrate clearly how vortices are distributed over the triangle dots by forming not only commensurate triangular clusters, but also unique patterns imposed by incommensurability. We discuss the results in terms of vortex shells and construct the packing sequence of vortices in the multiple shell structure.