Real-time magneto-optical imaging of vortices in superconducting NbSe2

01 September 2001

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We present here a new experimental tool for the direct observation of magnetic vortices in type-II superconductors. The magneto-optical imaging technique has been improved to enable single vortex observation at low flux densities. The main advantage of the new method is its high temporal resolution combined with the applicability to any superconducting sample with a flat surface. We give a short description of the experimental set-up and show examples of results obtained for a NbSe2 single crystal at 4.0 K.