We demonstrate existence of non-pairwise interaction forces between vortices in multicomponent and layered superconducting systems. That is, in contrast to most common models, the interactions in a group of such vortices is not a universal superposit
ion of Coulomb or Yukawa forces. Next we consider the properties of vortex clusters in Semi-Meissner state of type-1.5 two-component superconductors. We show that under certain condition non-pairwise forces can contribute to formation of very complex vortex states in type-1.5 regimes.
In contrast to single-component superconductors, which are described at the level of Ginzburg-Landau theory by a single parameter kappa and are divided in type-I kappa<1/sqrt{2} and type-II kappa>1/sqrt{2} classes, two-component systems in general po
ssess three fundamental length scales and have been shown to possess a separate type-1.5 superconducting state. In that state, as a consequence of the extra fundamental length scale, vortices attract one another at long range but repel at shorter ranges, and therefore should form clusters in low magnetic fields. In this work we investigate the appearance of type-1.5 superconductivity and the interpretation of the fundamental length scales in the case of two bands with substantial interband couplings such as intrinsic Josephson coupling, mixed gradient coupling and density-density interactions. We show that in the presence of substantial intercomponent interactions of the above types the system supports type-1.5 superconductivity with fundamental length scales being associated with the mass of the gauge field and two masses of normal modes represented by mixed combinations of the density fields.
In the usual Ginzburg-Landau theory the critical value of the ratio of two fundamental length scales in the thery $kappa_c=1/sqrt{2}$ separates regimes of type-I and type-II superconductivity. The latter regime possess thermodynamically stable vortex
excitations which interact with each other repulsively and tend to form vortex lattices. It was shown in [5] that this dichotomy in broken in U(1)xU(1) Ginzburg-Landau models which possess three fundamental length scales which results in the existence of a distinct phase with vortex excitations which interact attractively at large length scales and repulsively at shorter distances. Here we briefly review these results in particular discussing the role of interband Josephson coupling and the case where only one band is superconducting while superconductivity in another band is induced by interband proximity effect. The report is partially based on E. Babaev, J. Carlstrom, J. M. Speight arXiv:0910.1607.
We show that in multiband superconductors even small interband proximity effect can lead to a qualitative change in the interaction potential between superconducting vortices by producing long-range intervortex attraction. This type of vortex interac
tion results in unusual response to low magnetic fields leading to phase separation into domains of a two-component Meissner states and vortex droplets.
