Abstract
A high-resolution scanning Hall-probe microscope is used to spatially resolve vortices in high-temperature superconducting La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 films. At low magnetic fields, a disordered vortex arrangement is observed. A fit to the surface field of an individual vortex is consistent with one flux quantum, and is used to determine the local penetration depth and its temperature dependence. At higher fields, magnetic fluctuations are observed and compared to a collective pinning model. For films grown with the c-axis tilted from the surface normal, oval vortices are observed. © 1992 IOP Publishing Ltd.