We present experiments on weakly pinned vortices, which exhibit a large critical transverse depinning force. These results are obtained in the superconducting metallic glasses Fe_xNi_1−xZr₂ using crossed ac and dc driving currents. We study the vortex depinning force due to the transverse ac drive as a function of a longitudinal dc drive; the ac and dc combination permits the separation of the transverse drive from the longitudinal one. We show that the force required for depinning in the transverse direction is greatly enhanced by the longitudinal drive, which demonstrates the existence of a large transverse critical force. The measurements are performed as a function of magnetic field and temperature and show that the transverse critical force exists in a large portion of the phase diagram. Hysteresis observed at the transverse depinning threshold is consistent with a first-order transverse depinning transition.

We experimentally characterize the transverse vortex motion and observe some striking features. We find large structures and peaks in the Hall resistance, which can be attributed to the long-range inhomogeneous vortex flow present in some phases of vortex dynamics. We further demonstrate the existence of a moving vortex phase between the pinned phase (peak effect) and the field induced normal state. The measurements were performed on NiZr₂-based superconducting glasses.

In the mixed state of type II superconductors, vortices penetrate the sample and form a correlated system due to the screening of supercurrents around them. Interestingly, we can study this correlated system as a function of density and driving force. The density, for instance, is controlled by the magnetic field B, whereas a current density j acts as a driving force F=j×B on all vortices. To minimize the pinning strength, we study a superconducting glass in which the depinning current is 10 to 1000 times smaller than in previous studies, which enables us to map out the complete phase diagram in this new regime. The diagram is obtained as a function of B, driving current, and temperature, and leads to a remarkable set of new results, which includes a huge peak effect, an additional reentrant depinning phase, and a driving force induced pinning phase.