  The dynamics of quantized magnetic vortices and their pinning by materials
defects determine electromagnetic properties of superconductors, particularly
their ability to carry non-dissipative currents. Despite recent advances in the
understanding of the complex physics of vortex matter, the behavior of vortices
driven by current through a multi-scale potential of the actual materials
defects is still not well understood, mostly due to the scarcity of appropriate
experimental tools capable of tracing vortex trajectories on nanometer scales.
Using a novel scanning superconducting quantum interference microscope we
report here an investigation of controlled dynamics of vortices in lead films
with sub-Angstrom spatial resolution and unprecedented sensitivity. We
measured, for the first time, the fundamental dependence of the elementary
pinning force of multiple defects on the vortex displacement, revealing a far
more complex behavior than has previously been recognized, including striking
spring softening and broken-spring depinning, as well as spontaneous hysteretic
switching between cellular vortex trajectories. Our results indicate the
importance of thermal fluctuations even at 4.2 K and of the vital role of
ripples in the pinning potential, giving new insights into the mechanisms of
magnetic relaxation and electromagnetic response of superconductors.
