Quantum Mechanics of an Abrikosov Vortex in Nanofabricated Pinning Potential

Abstract

A superconducting device is proposed for experimentally investigating whether an Abrikosov vortex can be modeled as a quantum mechanical quasiparticle. The design process of a type-II superconducting device capable of reliably pinning a single Abrikosov vortex is presented, creating a particle-in-a-box-like system. The proposed device consists of a cylindrically symmetric Nb film, 30 nm in diameter and 5 nm thick, with a 14 nm diameter artificial pinning center at its center. Time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations indicate robust single-vortex pinning under an applied field of 6 T. The presumed quantized energy levels and associated quantum wavefunctions of the vortex quasiparticle are obtained by numerically solving the two-dimensional time-independent Schr\"odinger equation for this system. It is shown that distinguishing the ground and first excited states is experimentally feasible. Beyond fundamental physics studies, the application of the proposed device in cryogenic memory technology and quantum computing warrant further exploration.