The volume pinning force for different shapes of the interaction potential between defects and flux lines

Abstract

The volume pinning force in superconductors with randomly distributed line defects nearly perpendicular to the flux lines is calculated for model as well as realistic interaction potentials between single defects and single flux lines. Both attractive and repulsive interactions defect — flux line were considered. The line defects were constructed from point defects distributed with constant density on straight lines. The deviations of the results from the theory of Labusch are considerable for small elementary interaction forces between defects and flux lines. The deviations (as well as the differences between repulsive and attractive interaction potentials) are larger for the realistic interaction potential than those for the different model potentials. The threshold values for the flux line distortion (under which no net volume pinning can exist) is also given.