Vortex matter in mesoscopic superconductors

Superconducting mesoscopic devices in magnetic fields present novel properties which can only be accounted for by both the quantum confinement of the Cooper pairs and by the interaction between the magnetic-field-induced vortices. Sub-micrometer disks, much the same as their semiconductor counterparts known as quantum dots, are being subject to experimental investigation by measuring their conducting properties and, more recently, their magnetization by using state-of-the-art ballistic Hall magnetometry. In this work I review the main results obtained in these two types of experiments as well as the current theoretical developments which are contributing to our understanding of the superconducting condensate in these systems. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.