Vortex nucleation in type-I superconducting layer covering a type-II superconductor

Within the framework of the Ginzburg-Landau model, it has been shown that in a composite system consisting of type-I and type-II superconductors with a large coherence length difference ${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{\mathrm{I}}\ensuremath{\gg}{\ensuremath{\xi}}_{\mathrm{II}}$, Abrikosov vortices may appear in the type-I superconductor as superconductivity is restored upon decreasing the magnetic field. The vortices enter the type-I superconductor through its boundary with the vacuum and reach the boundary with the type-II superconductor, which is in the Meissner state. We have found conditions under which the chain of vortices can exist at the I/II interface even at zero magnetic field.