It is well known that when a magnetic field penetrates into a type-II superconductor, they do so in the form of quantized flux tubes, or vortices. The presence of a fluctuating vortex line reduces the superfluidity of the system, and its motion is the primary cause of energy dissipation in a superconductor. On the other hand, a controlled use of vortices may play central roles in several quantum computation algorithms or in other future electronic devices. Given these reasons it is apparently vital for applications to know how to gain control over these objects.
In the cuprate oxide high temperature superconductors, vortices are subject to unusually strong thermal fluctuations. This is due to the strong anisotropy of the cuprates, and the fact that they are strongly type-II superconductors. Understanding the behavior of this unique vortex system thus poses a big scientific challenge, as well as having direct implications for cutting-edge applications. We are undertaking this investigation through large scale simulations invoking Monte Carlo and other numerical means.
