by Alexander MELNIKOV, Dr. Sc. (Phys. & Math.), Head of the Laboratory of Mesoscopic Systems Theory, Institute of Microstructure Physics, RAS (Nizhni Novgorod) The interaction between two antagonistic phenomena, i.e. superconductivity and ferromagnetism, has long been drawing attention of researchers. The importance and nontrivial character of this problem were discussed as far back as in the 1950s in a pioneer work of Acad. Vitaly Ginzburg, Nobel Prize Winner of 2003. Moreover, competition of superconducting and magnetic states of substance is not only an intriguing and fine physical problem, it can also practically be used in a new class of cryoelectronic devices, namely, solid state devices (superconducting spin valves, phase inverters, etc.), which operate at cryogenic temperatures (below 100 K). International cooperation played a decisive role in shaping one of the key subjects of the superconductivity department of the Institute of Microstructure Physics, which were focused on these problems. The most important works, which stimulated inception of a topical research line at our institute, i.e. physics of interaction between superconductivity and ferromagnetism, were implemented in the 1990s, long before the establishment of international contacts. I mean here theoretical studies of Gennady Genkin, losif Tokman and Vladimir Skuzovatkin related to changes of a domain structure* and initiation of * Domain structure is a set of microscopic regions (domains) of a magnetically ordered substance. - Ed. стр. 20 vortexes in the superconductor-ferromagnetic layered systems, and in the experimental works of Yuri Noz-drin in induction of a vortex state in a superconducting film by a magnetic particle field. However, in many ways due to weak international contacts they remained unnoticed in the superconducting community, failed to obtain marked scientometric characteristics and were repeated independently by other researchers later. ... Читать далее