Crossing Lattices, Vortex Chains, and Angular Dependence of Melting Line in Layered Superconductors

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.187· OSTI ID:353760

Koshelev, A E ^[1]

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1. Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)

We investigate vortex structure in very anisotropic layered superconductors at fields tilted with respect to the c axis. We show that even a small in-plane field does not tilt the vortex lattice but, instead, penetrates inside the superconductor in the form of Josephson vortices (JVs). At high c -axis magnetic field the phase field of the JV is built up from the phase perturbations created by displacements of pancake vortices. The crossing-lattices ground state leads to linear dependence of the {ital c}-axis melting field on the in-plane field, in agreement with recent experimental observations. At small fields stacks of JVs accumulate additional pancake stacks creating vortex rows with enhanced density. This mechanism explains the mixed chains-lattice state observed by decorations. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}

• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 353760
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 83; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
GROUND STATES
JOSEPHSON EFFECT
MAGNETIC FLUX
MEISSNER-OCHSENFELD EFFECT
MELTING
PENETRATION DEPTH
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
VORTICES