Vortex matching at 6 T in YBa_2⁢Cu_3⁢O_7−𝛿 thin films by imprinting a 20-nm periodic pinning array with a focused helium-ion beam

Controlled engineering of vortex pinning sites in copper-oxide superconductors is a critical issue in manufacturing devices based on magnetic flux quanta. To address this, we employed a focused He-ion beam (He-FIB) to irradiate thin YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ films and create ultradense hexagonal arrays of defects with lattice spacings as small as 20 nm. Critical current and magnetoresistance measurements demonstrate efficient pinning by amatching field of 6 T visible in a huge temperature range from the critical temperature Tc down to 2 K. These results show that He-FIB irradiation provides excellent opportunities for the development and application of superconducting fluxonic devices based on Abrikosov vortices. In particular, our findings suggest that such devices can operate at temperatures far below Tc, where superconductivity is robust.