PENETRATION OF LATERALLY QUANTIZED FLUX LAMINA INTO A SUPERCONDUCTINGWIRE NETWORK

We report direct, high resolution images of the magnetic field above a superconducting wire grid as applied flux penetrates into an initiall y empty state or into a state with half the plaquettes containing a ma gnetic quantum. We find two qualitatively different initial approaches to equilibrium: in wide structures for the former, or with long, line ar structures for the latter case. In the approach to an empty state, we observe the formation of residual quasi-bound magnetic vortex/anti- vortex pairs. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd