Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/J33036/01
Title:	MICROSCOPIC HALL PROBE INVESTIGATIONS OF FLUX VORTEX DYNAMICS IN HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS
Principal Investigator:	Bending, Professor SJ
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Department:	Physics
Organisation:	University of Bath
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 August 1993	Ends:	31 July 1995	Value (£):	63,170
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Characterisation
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Summary on Grant Application Form
A detailed understanding of the dynamics of magnetic flux vortices in High Temperature Superconductors is vital if their technological potential is to be unlocked. We propose to extend important work which we have been performing in collaboration with Imperial College, London, supported by an expiring SERC grant investigating flux structures on a microscopic scale using micron-sized GaAs heterostructure Hall probes. To date the investigations at Bath have focused on thin Pb films and we have been able to image correlated flux bundle motion, vortex-antivortex annihilation mechanisms, Lorentz force driven flux flow, jumping of vortices between potential minima near Tc and flux noise. We now wish to employ the techniques we have developed in a microscopic study of High Temperature Superconducting thin films and single crystals using composite semiconductor/superconductor structures. In particular we plan to probe the microscopic nature of pinning centres in these materials and develop ways to modify them. No additional equipment will be required and the proposal only seeks RAlA support (and a small sum for travel and consumables) for Simon Stoddart in order that he may continue his first class work in this area. The collaboration will continue and macroscopic measurements made at Imperial College and the microscopic ones at Bath will be complementary and should lead to a complete overall picture of vortex motion.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.bath.ac.uk