Vortex-Loop Unbinding and Flux-Line Lattice Melting in Superconductors

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.77.1592· OSTI ID:287007

Nguyen, A K; Hetzel, R ^[1]

---

1. Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7034 Trondheim (Norway)

We study the interplay between a novel vortex-loop unbinding in finite magnetic field at {ital T}={ital T}{sub {ital V}} and flux-line-lattice (FLL) melting at {ital T}={ital T}{sub {ital M}} in type-II superconductors. The FLL melts due to nucleation of vortex loops parallel to the {ital {cflx c}} axis, connected to flux lines. For moderate anisotropy, phase coherence parallel to {ital {cflx c}} is lost at {ital T}{sub {ital V}}{approx_gt}{ital T}{sub {ital M}} due to an {ital ab}-plane vortex-loop unbinding with loops located close to thermal FLL fluctuations. For large anisotropy, phase coherence parallel to {ital {cflx c}} is lost at {ital T}{sub {ital V}}{lt}{ital T}{sub {ital M}} due to nucleation of vortex loops uncorrelated to flux lines, predominantly in the {ital ab} plane. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

• OSTI ID: 287007
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 77, Issue 8; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
TYPE-II SUPERCONDUCTORS
MAGNETIC FLUX
MELTING
VORTICES
ANISOTROPY
FLUCTUATIONS
ABRIKOSOV THEORY
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
FLUX-LINE LATTICES