Vortex states in mesoscopic superconducting spheres are investigated within the framework of the phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau theory in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field. We treat the linearized first Ginzburg-Landau equation as an eigenvalue problem and find the cylindrical symmetric giant vortex states. Taking linear combinations of solutions of the linearized equation and minimizing the free energy, we obtain the stable multivortex and giant vortex states.

• Received 7 October 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.75.174523