Altering magnetic response of superconductors by rotation

•Magnetic response of rotating superconductors is discussed.•Critical fields of superconductors can be increased or decreased due to the mechanical rotation.•Vortex physics in rotating superconductors is presented. It is generally believed that, at a certain temperature below the critical one, magnetic response of a superconductor (SC) is determined solely by its intrinsic properties. Here we show that the mechanical rotation of a SC can easily change the values of the critical fields at which the superconductivity is destroyed (type-1 SC) or the vortices penetrate into (exit from) the material (type-2 SC). This is due to a superposition of the Meissner current induced by the external field, and the spontaneous current on the surface of the SC induced by the mechanical rotation. As a result, the critical fields of a SC can be increased or decreased, depending on the geometrical form of the material and the relative orientation of rotation and the external field.