LAUSR

Strongly disordered superconductors in a magnetic field exhibit many characteristic properties of type-II superconductivity—except at low temperatures, where an anomalous linear temperature dependence of the resistive critical field Bc2 is routinely observed. This behaviour violates the conventional theory of superconductivity, and its origin has posed a long-standing puzzle. Here we report systematic measurements of the critical magnetic field and current on amorphous indium oxide films with various levels of disorder. Surprisingly, our measurements show that the Bc2 anomaly is accompanied by mean-field-like scaling of the critical current. Based on a comprehensive theoretical study we argue that these observations are a consequence of the vortex-glass ground state and its thermal fluctuations. Our theory further predicts that the linear-temperature anomaly occurs more generally in both films and disordered bulk superconductors, with a slope that depends on the normal-state sheet resistance, which we confirm experimentally.An anomalous upturn of the critical field at low temperature observed in disordered superconductors has long puzzled researchers. A joint experimental and theoretical study suggests that the origin of the anomaly lies in the physics of vortex glasses.