Manipulation of individual flux quanta in superconductors: an essential step towards "fluxtronics"

By this project we will explore the possibilities to manipulate superconducting vortices - the quantum mechanical entities that carry the magnetic field inside superconductors. In the same way as charge of an electron form the basis of electronics, can on e see that in the future the flux quanta, i.e. the vortices and the ability to manipulate them, will be the basis of "fluxtronics". This project, which is realistic only because of the unique single-vortex magneto-optical microscope in our laboratory, rep resent reseach in the absolute forefront, and by having a strong homebase activity in this field will make our group an attractive partner in networks etc. that one now see being formed, e.g. in EU where an EoI entitled "Nanostructured superconductors: Fr om quantum design of critical parameters to fluxtronics", has been submitted to the 6. FP.