Recent Advances in Superconductivity and Vortex Matter: Selected Topics

The more-than-a-century history of superconductivity is marked by a great deal of progress in the understanding of this fascinating phenomenon as well as discovery and design of new superconducting materials and systems with enhanced critical parameters. Despite the achievements in theory, experiment and technology, many questions still remain open related to the mechanisms of superconductivity in so-called unconventional materials and aspects related to applications of superconductors which stimulates continuous research interest in the field. In this short review paper, we discuss some important recent advances in superconductivity and vortex matter made over about the last decade. In particular, we focus on novel iron-based and multigap superconductors and vortex matter in multi-component systems including multiband superconductors and multi-component Bose–Einstein condensates. We also discuss recent advances in manipulating vortex matter in nano-engineered superconducting systems such as non-periodic pinning arrays which can be used as devices that enhance the critical superconducting parameters and thus open new possibilities for applications of superconductors.