Plots of the critical current against the square root of the magnetic field obtained from new experiments on thin type-II superconducting films under conditions of parallel magnetic field and current show regularly spaced steps. These novel results are interpreted as being due to the successive entry of planes of parallel vortices into an oscillating flux distribution associated with coherent flux cutting. The results allow the first estimate of the critical cutting force between vortices, a quantity of general significance for the dynamic response of vortices.

• Received 24 December 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.33.5131