Vortex confinement by regular pinning arrays

The pinning of vortices is studied in a superconducting Pb film with a regu lar array of submicron dots (Co dots with in-plane magnetization and Co/Pt dots with out-of-plane magnetization) or antidots. Matching anomalies are o bserved in the critical current and magnetization behavior at integer and r ational multiples of the first matching field, corresponding to stable vort ex configurations. The pinning force of Co dots with a single-domain state is enhanced compared to multi-domain dots. For Co/Pt dots with out-of-plane magnetisation a clear asymmetry is present in the magnetisation curves due to the direct interaction of the vortices with the magnetic moment of the dots. In superconducting films with a square array of antidots, Shapiro vol tage steps are observed in the voltage-current characteristics in the prese nce of rf-radiation. These steps clearly reveal the presence of mobile inte rstitial vortices coexisting with immobile vortices strongly pinned at the antidots.