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Title: Reentrant softening as precursor to reentrant melting of the vortex-lattice in YBCO single crystal

Conference ·
OSTI ID:750536

A vibrating sample technique was used to study the elastic behavior of the magnetic vortex system in YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} single crystal. The setup consists of a system of two weakly coupled mechanical oscillators (transducer, sample), the frequency and Q of which depends sensitively on the frequencies of the two subsystems as well as the coupling between both. By sweeping a magnetic field at temperatures below the superconducting transition temperature {Tc} the authors observe pronounced attenuation peaks of temperature-dependent characteristic field strengths H{sub 1} and H{sub 2}. These fields mark temperature-dependent points of constant elasticity of the vortex-ensemble. Since softening precedes the melting of the vortex-lattice by approaching H{sub o1} as well as H{sub o2}, the observed angular dependence of H{sub 1} and H{sub 2} is interpreted as due to reentrant softening as precursor to reentrant melting.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy (US)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
750536
Report Number(s):
ANL/MSD/CP-100184; TRN: US0003488
Resource Relation:
Conference: Vortex Conference, Crete (GR), 09/18/1999--09/24/1999; Other Information: PBD: 12 Oct 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English