Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Three-dimensional to two-dimensional crossover in layered high-{ital T}{sub {ital c}} superconductors

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter
;  [1]
  1. Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 (United States)
We calculate vortex lattice properties in a highly anisotropic layered high-{ital T}{sub {ital c}} superconductor using Monte Carlo simulations. The superconducting order parameter is expanded in products of lowest Landau level states in the {ital ab} plane and tight-binding Bloch states in the {ital c} direction. The phase diagram is then a universal function of a dimensionless effective temperature {ital scrT} and effective interlayer coupling {eta}, both of which depend on temperature {ital T} and magnetic field {ital B}. We characterize the vortex lattice by the helicity modulus (superfluid density) {Upsilon} in the {ital c} direction, and shear modulus {mu} in the {ital ab} plane. There appears to be no phase transition separating two-dimensional (2D) and 3D solids. Instead, the 3D to 2D transition is manifested by a smooth crossover of {Upsilon} from nearly mean-field 3D behavior {Upsilon}{similar_to}{eta} at large {eta}, to a 2D, fluctuation-dominated regime {Upsilon}{similar_to}{eta}{sup 2} at small {eta}. In the limit {eta}{r_arrow}0 the shear modulus smoothly approaches a finite value characteristic of a purely 2D vortex lattice. We discuss the possibility that this dimensional crossover may account for the disappearance of the neutron scattering peaks in BiSr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}CuO{sub 8+{delta}} at high fields.
Research Organization:
Purdue Research Foundation
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-90ER45427
OSTI ID:
83943
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 52; ISSN 0163-1829; ISSN PRBMDO
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English