MICROSCOPIC OSCILLATIONS IN THE QUANTUM NUCLEATION OF VORTICES SUBJECT TO PERIODIC PINNING POTENTIAL IN A THIN SUPERCONDUCTOR

We present a theory for the decay of a supercurrent through nucleation of vortex-antivortex pairs in a two-dimensional superconductor in the presence of dissipation and of a periodic pinning potential. Through a powerful quantum electrodynamics formulation of the problem we show that the nucleation rate develops oscillations in its current-density dependence which are connected to the pinning periodicity. A remnant o f the dissipation-driven localization transition is present, and an es timate of the nucleation rate suggests that these effects might be obs ervable in real thin superconductors.