Vortex pinning and creep in high-temperature superconductors with columnar defects

Columnar defects introduced by irradiation with very energetic heavy ions are the most effective pinning centres for flux lines in high-temperature superconductors. This correlated disorder generates large increases in the critical current densities and expansion of the irreversible regime in YBa2Cu3O7 and the various Bi- and Tl-based compounds. In YBa2Cu3O7 single crystals and thin films, the pinning enhancement is strongly angular-dependent, and maximizes when the applied magnetic field is parallel to the amorphous latent tracks. In contrast, in the much more anisotropic Bi- and Tl- based materials this unidirectional anisotropy is very small due to the quasi two-dimensional character of the vortices. Some of the extensive experimental studies on this topic are reviewed. Measurements of the temperature, field and defect density dependence of the persistent currents and their time relaxation in YBCO are presented. The analysis of these results based on recent theoretical models permits the identification of various pinning and creep regimes. Studies in other compounds, including technologically relevant Bi-based tapes, are summarized. The influence of the angular dispersion (splay) of the tracks on vortex pinning and creep is discussed.