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Crystal structure effects on vortex dynamics in superconducting MgB2 thin films

Clemens Schmid1,2,*, Anton Pokusinskyi3, Markus Gruber1, Corentin Pfaff4, Theo Courtois4, Laurent Badie4, Alexander Kasatkin5, Karine Dumesnil4, Stephane Mangin4 et al.

Thomas Hauet4 and Oleksandr Dobrovolskiy3,6

  • *Contact author: c.schmid@univie.ac.at
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Phys. Rev. B 114, 214508 – Published 21 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/ghfm-2tzs

Abstract

The current-driven resistive transition is central to superconducting single-photon detectors, transition-edge sensors, and fluxonic devices. Depending on sample uniformity, dimensions, and heat removal, it can be driven by phase-slip events, flux-flow instabilities (FFI), and normal-domain formation. Here we investigate the influence of two types of microstructural defects on vortex dynamics in MgB2 films: columnar growth in textured films and buffer-layer roughness in single-crystal films. The current-voltage (I−V) curves measured at T≈0.25Tc for both films exhibit multiple steps. Time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations reproduce the major features of the experimental I−V curves and suggest that the resistive transitions for both films are mediated by the formation and growth of normal domains rather than FFI. The single-crystal film with buffer-layer roughness exhibits superconductivity breakdown at higher currents and pinning activation energies approximately twice those of the textured film, along with more pronounced multistep features in the I−V curves. These features are primarily attributed to stronger pinning induced by lateral variations of the superconducting order parameter along the MgO buffer layer. Our results show that both the film microstructure and the film-buffer interface are critical for the resistive transition, offering insights for superconducting devices requiring controlled dissipation at high transport currents.

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Phys. Rev. B 114, 214508– Published 21 October, 2026
  • Received 16 April 2026
  • Revised 16 July 2026
  • Accepted 11 September 2026
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