Researchers at the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), one of the centers under the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan, discovered that atomic-scale steps can guide superconducting vortices in an ultrathin superconductor. Vortices moved more than 1,000 times more easily along the steps than across them, and this guiding effect could be tuned by temperature and magnetic field.
Superconducting vortices are tiny quantum objects whose movement can strongly influence how superconductors behave. Controlling their direction of motion could therefore be important for developing ultralow-power superconducting technologies. However, directional control of vortices in two-dimensional superconductors has remained challenging. Achieving such control could help develop future superconducting devices that consume less power while improving processing efficiency.
Addressing this challenge, a research team led by Takashi Uchihashi from Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, investigated an ultrathin superconductor with regularly arranged atomic steps on its surface. Scanning tunneling microscopy confirmed the parallel steps and directly visualized vortices located along them. Their findings were published in the journal Physical Review B on July 30, 2026.
Four-terminal resistance measurements revealed that vortices moved more than 1,000 times more easily along the atomic steps than across them at intermediate magnetic fields. " Our study shows that atomic-scale steps can act as effective rails that guide superconducting vortices, and that this guiding effect can be tuned simply by changing the temperature or magnetic field ," said Uchihashi. Between about 0.10 and 0.20 T, vortices flowed freely along the steps without being hindered by pinning, forming one-dimensional pinning-free vortex flow, while at the lowest temperatures their motion was governed by quantum tunneling.
Overall, the findings demonstrate that one-atom-high surface steps can act as effective rails for guiding quantum vortices, opening possibilities for controlling vortex motion and heat flow in future superconducting technologies.
Research Highlights Vol. 96
https://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/researchactivities/highlights/vol96.html
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About Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA)
The Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) is one of the core research centers of the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS). Established in 2007 under the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), MANA pioneers the concept of Nanoarchitectonics to design innovative materials at the nanoscale level. MANA promotes world-class research, fosters global collaboration, and supports the development of young scientists. With a strong international presence and interdisciplinary approach, MANA continues to lead in advancing materials science for a more sustainable and innovative future.
Website: https://www.nims.go.jp/mana/index.html
MANA Research Highlights
MANA independently selects and publishes its exceptional research achievements as “Research Highlights,” which are different from the official ‘Press releases’ disseminated by NIMS, with the purpose of showcasing its research outcomes.
https://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/researchactivities/highlights/index.html
About the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)
The WPI was launched in 2007 by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), to foster globally visible research centers exhibiting the highest standards and outstanding research environments. With over a dozen centers that operate at several institutions throughout the country, these centers are given a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to pursue innovative modes of management and research. This program is supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
See the latest research news from the centers at the:
WPI News Portal: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsportal/WPI
WPI program website: https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-toplevel/index.html
Physical Review B
Anisotropic transport of Josephson vortices in atomic-layer superconductors on vicinal surfaces
30-Jul-2026