Effects of the experimental geometry on the vortex dynamics in high-Tc superconductors

A brief overview is given on the macroscopic electrodynamics of type-II superconductors with and without vortex pinning, of various shapes and in an applied magnetic field, but also with applied transport current and with finite London penetration depth lambda. The extension to lambda > 0 is important at low inductions B to describe the transition to the Meissner state, and for films with thickness not much larger than lambda. The finite width of the surface layer with screening currents and the correct dc and ac responses in various geometries follow from an equation of motion for the current density, with a lambda dependent integral kernel.