Simulation Studies on the Stability of the Vortex-Glass Order

The stability of the three-dimensional vortex-glass order in random type-II superconductors with point disorder is investigated by equilibrium Monte Carlo simulations based on a lattice XY model with a uniform field threading the system. It is found that the vortex-glass order, which stably exists in the absence of screening, is destroyed by the screenng effect, corroborating the previous finding based on the spatially isotropic gauge-glass model. Estimated critical exponents, however, deviate considerably from the values reported for the gauge-glass model.Comment: Minor modifications made, a few referenced added; to appear in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Vol.69 No.1 (2000

Supercooling across first-order phase transitions in vortex matter

Hysteresis in cycling through first-order phase transitions in vortex matter, akin to the well-studied phenomenon of supercooling of water, has been discussed in literature. Hysteresis can be seen while varying either temperature T or magnetic field H (and thus the density of vortices). Our recent work on phase transitions with two control variables shows that the observable region of metastability of the supercooled phase would depend on the path followed in H-T space, and will be larger when T is lowered at constant H compared to the case when H is lowered at constant T. We discuss the effect of isothermal field variations on metastable supercooled states produced by field-cooling. This path dependence is not a priori applicable to metastability caused by reduced diffusivity or hindered kinetics.Comment: Tex, 8 pages, 3 Postscripts figures. Submitted to Pramana - J. Physic

Effect of disorder on the vortex-lattice melting transition

We use a three dimensional stacked triangular network of Josephson junctions as a model for the study of vortex structure in the mixed state of high Tc superconductors. We show that the addition of disorder destroys the first order melting transition occurring for clean samples. The melting transition splits in two different (continuous) transitions, ocurring at temperatures Ti and Tp (>Ti). At Ti the perpendicular-to-field superconductivity is lost, and at Tp the parallel-to-field superconductivity is lost. These results agree well with recent experiments in YBaCuO.Comment: 4 pages + 2 figure

Longitudinal Current Dissipation in Bose-glass Superconductors

A scaling theory of vortex motion in Bose glass superconductors with currents parallel to the common direction of the magnetic field and columnar defects is presented. Above the Bose-glass transition the longitudinal DC resistivity $\rho_{||}(T)\sim (T-T_{BG})^{\nu' z'}$ vanishes much faster than the corresponding transverse resistivity $\rho_{\perp}(T)\sim (T-T_{BG})^{\nu' (z'-2)}$, thus {\it reversing} the usual anisotropy of electrical transport in the normal state of layered superconductors. In the presence of a current $\bf J$ at an angle $\theta_J$ with the common field and columnar defect axis, the electric field angle $\theta_E$ approaches $\pi/2$ as $T\rightarrow T_{BG}^+$. Scaling also predicts the behavior of penetration depths for the AC currents as $T\rightarrow T_{BG}^-$, and implies a {\it jump discontinuity} at $T_{BG}$ in the superfluid density describing transport parallel to the columns.Comment: 5 pages, revte

First-Order Melting of a Moving Vortex Lattice: Effects of Disorder

We study the melting of a moving vortex lattice through numerical simulations with the current driven 3D XY model with disorder. We find that there is a first-order phase transition even for large disorder when the corresponding equilibrium transition is continuous. The low temperature phase is an anisotropic moving glass.Comment: Important changes from original version. Finite size analysis of results has been added. Figure 2 has been changed. There is a new additional Figure. To be published in Physical Review Letter

Melting and Dimensionality of the Vortex Lattice in Underdoped YBa2Cu3O6.60

Muon spin rotation measurements of the magnetic field distribution in the vortex state of the oxygen deficient high-Tc superconductor YBa{2}Cu{3}O{6.60} reveal a vortex-lattice melting transition at much lower temperature than that in the fully oxygenated material. The transition is best described by a model in which adjacent layers of ``pancake'' vortices decouple in the liquid phase. Evidence is also found for a pinning-induced crossover from a solid 3D to quasi-2D vortex lattice, similar to that observed in the highly anisotropic superconductor Bi{2+x}Sr{2-x}CaCu{2}O{8+y}.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 5 postscript file

Critical Fluctuations and Disorder at the Vortex Liquid to Crystal Transition in Type-II Superconductors

We present a functional renormalization group (FRG) analysis of a Landau-Ginzburg model of type-II superconductors (generalized to $n/2$ complex fields) in a magnetic field, both for a pure system, and in the presence of quenched random impurities. Our analysis is based on a previous FRG treatment of the pure case [E.Br\'ezin et. al., Phys. Rev. B, {\bf 31}, 7124 (1985)] which is an expansion in $\epsilon = 6-d$. If the coupling functions are restricted to the space of functions with non-zero support only at reciprocal lattice vectors corresponding to the Abrikosov lattice, we find a stable FRG fixed point in the presence of disorder for $1<n<4$, identical to that of the disordered $O(n)$ model in $d-2$ dimensions. The pure system has a stable fixed point only for $n>4$ and so the physical case ($n = 2$) is likely to have a first order transition. We speculate that the recent experimental findings that disorder removes the apparent first order transition are consistent with these calculations.Comment: 4 pages, no figures, typeset using revtex (v3.0

Hysteretic behavior of the vortex lattice at the onset of the second peak for HgBa2_2CuO4+δ_{4+\delta} superconductor

By means of local Hall probe ac and dc permeability measurements we investigated the phase diagram of vortex matter for the HgBa$_2$CuO$_{4+\delta }$ superconductor in the regime near the critical temperature. The second peak line, $H_{\rm sp}$, in contrast to what is usually assumed, doesn't terminate at the critical temperature. Our local ac permeability measurements revealed pronounced hysteretic behavior and thermomagnetic history effects near the onset of the second peak, giving evidence for a phase transition of vortex matter from an ordered qausilattice state to a disordered glass

Hall Anomaly and Vortex-Lattice Melting in Superconducting Single Crystal YBa2Cu3O7-d

Sub-nanovolt resolution longitudinal and Hall voltages are measured in an ultra pure YBa2Cu3O7-d single crystal. The Hall anomaly and the first-order vortex-lattice melting transition are observed simultaneously. Changes in the dynamic behavior of the vortex solid and liquid are correlated with features of the Hall conductivity sxy. With the magnetic field oriented at an angle from the twin-boundaries, the Hall conductivity sharply decreases toward large negative values at the vortex-lattice melting transition.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures included, Postscript, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Phase diagrams of flux lattices with disorder

We review the prediction, made in a previous work [Phys. Rev. B 52 (1995)], that the phase diagram of type II superconductors consists of a topologically ordered Bragg glass phase at low fields undergoing a transition at higher fields into a vortex glass or a liquid. We estimate the position of the phase boundary using a Lindemann criterion. We find that the proposed phenomenology is compatible with recent experiments on superconductors.Comment: 7 pages 2 figures, uses epsfi