Figure 1

Cross-sectional high resolution transmission electron microscopy image of a 30% Gd sample. Gd inclusions are marked as arrows. Inset; selected area diffraction pattern from the same sample.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 2

Magnetic moment vs field at 10 K for Nb/30% Gd sample. Inset: temperature dependence of the saturated magnetization normalized at 10 K for the same sample.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 3

Critical current density vs applied field for a 20% Gd sample for different temperatures: top to bottom 5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5 K. Closed symbols: decreasing field; open symbols: increasing field; triangles: zero-field cooled (ZFC).Reuse & Permissions

Figure 4

(a) Plot of the hysteresis onset field vs $1\mathrm{\text{−}}(T/T_c{)}^4$ for the data from Fig. 3 with $T_c=8.6\mathrm{K}$; the dashed line shows a linear fit corresponding to a gradient ${\Phi }_0/2\sqrt{3}{\lambda }_0^2$ with ${\lambda }_0=107\mathrm{nm}$. (b) schematic diagram of the magnetization changes experienced during vortex displacement, particles within the vortex (colored points) and outside the vortex (black point); (c) schematic diagram of a vortex enclosing a number of small magnetic particles; (d) schematic diagram of the interaction between the moments of an array of ferromagnetic particles and the field within a flux vortex; (e) the changes induced in the particle moments by movement of the vortex from site A to site B.Reuse & Permissions