Common methods of local magnetic imaging display either a high spatial resolution and relatively poor field sensitivity (MFM, Lorentz microscopy), or a relatively high field sensitivity but limited spatial resolution (scanning SQUID microscopy). Since the magnetic field of a nanoparticle or nanostructure decays rapidly with distance from the structure, the achievable spatial resolution is ultimately limited by the probe-sample separation. This thesis presents a novel method for fabricating the smallest superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) that resides on the apex of a very sharp tip. The nanoSQUID-on-tip displays a characteristic size down to 100 nm and a field sensitivity of 10^-3 Gauss/Hz^(1/2). A scanning SQUID microsope was constructed by gluing the nanoSQUID-on-tip to a quartz tuning-fork. This enabled the nanoSQUID to be scanned within nanometers of the sample surface, providing simultaneous images of sample topography and the magnetic field distribution. This microscope represents a significant improvement over the existing scanning SQUID techniques and is expected to be able to image the spin of a single electron.

These three volumes are intended to shape the field of nanoscience and technology and will serve as an essential point of reference for cutting-edge research in the field.

A discussion by an assembly of expert physicists and materials scientists, embracing the specific features of vortex-pin interactions, the modes of different kinds of vortex motion under the action of Lorenz force, and the mechanisms of dissipation. The effects of transport and screening currents, superimposed AC magnetic fields and the microwave electromagnetic irradiation on vortex behaviour define the electromagnetic properties of a high-Tc superconducting material. The mechanisms driving the depinning of vortices and the dynamics of their motion determine the critical current density and its file dependence, the mechanisms of energy dissipation, and linear and nonlinear resistivity, AC losses, and noise in electronic circuitry. The book therefore has direct implications for the development of new devices and components in electrical engineering, modern electronics, computer technology, and microwave communication.

This volume is an exciting collection of short review articles written by leading international experts on the superconducting state in magnetic fields, a rapidly developing area. The philosophy of the book is to emphasize the importance of having experimental and theoretical works side by side. Every effort has been made to match each experimental article with a corresponding theoretical article. The selection of materials includes special topics, new effects and new trends concerning superconductors in low and high magnetic fields. The special topics and new trends include quantum and classical melting of the vortex lattice, new vortex lattice symmetries, vortex core states, nonlinear Meissner effect, symmetry of the order parameter in high-temperature superconductors, and superconductors in high magnetic fields. The book is targeted at a broad audience, including graduate students, postdocs and other researchers active or interested in this field.

By covering theory, design, and fabrication of nanostructured superconducting materials, this monograph is an invaluable resource for research and development. Examples are energy saving solutions, healthcare, and communication technologies. Key ingredients are nanopatterned materials which help to improve the superconducting critical parameters and performance of superconducting devices, and lead to novel functionalities. Contents Tutorial on nanostructured superconductors Imaging vortices in superconductors: from the atomic scale to macroscopic distances Probing vortex dynamics on a single vortex level by scanning ac-susceptibility microscopy STM studies of vortex cores in strongly confined nanoscale superconductors Type-1.5 superconductivity Direct visualization of vortex patterns in superconductors with competing vortex-vortex interactions Vortex dynamics in nanofabricated chemical solution deposition high-temperature superconducting films Artificial pinning sites and their applications Vortices at microwave frequencies Physics and operation of superconducting single-photon devices Josephson and charging effect in mesoscopic superconducting devices NanoSQUIDs: Basics & recent advances Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 intrinsic Josephson junction stacks as emitters of terahertz radiation| Interference phenomena in superconductor-ferromagnet hybrids Spin-orbit interactions, spin currents, and magnetization dynamics in superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids Superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids

Mesoscopic superconductors achieve a level of smallness that reveals the dominance of strange quantum effects. In a world driven by the miniaturization of electronic device technology, small superconductors acquire great relevance and timeliness for the development of ground breaking novel quantum devices.

This book provides a modern introduction to the growth, characterization, and physics of iron-based superconducting thin films. Iron pnictide and iron chalcogenide compounds have become intensively studied key materials in condensed matter physics due to their potential for high temperature superconductivity. With maximum critical temperatures of around 60 K, the new superconductors rank first after the celebrated cuprates, and the latest announcements on ultrathin films promise even more. Thin film synthesis of these superconductors began in 2008 immediately after their discovery, and this growing research area has seen remarkable progress up to the present day, especially with regard to the iron chalcogenides FeSe and FeSe1-xTex, the iron pnictide BaFe2-xCoxAs2 and iron-oxyarsenides. This essential volume provides comprehensive, state-of-the-art coverage of iron-based superconducting thin films in topical chapters with detailed information on thin film synthesis and growth, analytical film characterization, interfaces, and various aspects on physics and materials properties. Current efforts towards technological applications and functional films are outlined and discussed. The development and latest results for monolayer FeSe films are also presented. This book serves as a key reference for students, lecturers, industry engineers, and academic researchers who would like to gain an overview of this complex and growing research area.