Geometrically controlled ratchet effect with collective vortex motion

© 2015 IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. Rectified flux motion arising from the collective effect of many interacting vortices is obtained in a specially designed superconducting device. Ratchet structures with different asymmetric pinning potentials are generated by tuning the size, depth, and distribution of triangular blind-antidots in a high-temperature superconducting film. We experimentally and theoretically demonstrate that the amplitude and sign of the rectified vortex motion can be finely tuned with the pattern geometry. Two different dynamical regimes depending on the nature of vortices initiating the dissipation are identified, which can control the rectified vortex motion.