title: Dynamical aspects of strong pinning of magnetic vortices in type-II superconductors.
abstract: We determine the current-voltage characteristic of type-II superconductors in the presence of strong pinning centers. Focusing on a small density of defects, we derive a generic form for the characteristic with a linear flux-flow branch shifted by the critical current (excess-current characteristic). The details near onset, a hysteretic jump (for κ>>1) or a smooth velocity turn-on (κ→1), depend on the Labusch parameter κ characterizing the pinning centers. Pushing the single-pin analysis into the weak pinning domain, we reproduce the collective pinning results for the critical current.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Theoretical Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Thomann
authors.forename: V B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Geshkenbein
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blatter