Characteristics of First-Order Vortex Lattice Melting: Jumps in Entropy and Magnetization
Abstract
We derive expressions for the jumps in entropy and magnetization characterizing the first-order melting transition of a flux line lattice. In our analysis we account for the temperature dependence of the Landau parameters and make use of the proper shape of the melting line as determined by the relative importance of electromagnetic and Josephson interactions. The results agree well with experiments on anisotropic Y1Ba2Cu3O7-δ and layered Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8 materials and reaffirm the validity of the London model.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- January 1998
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.837
- arXiv:
- arXiv:cond-mat/9705220
- Bibcode:
- 1998PhRvL..80..837D
- Keywords:
-
- Condensed Matter - Superconductivity
- E-Print:
- 4 pages. We have restructured the paper to emphasize that in the London scaling regime (appropriate for YBCO) our results are essentially exact. We have also emphasized that a major controversy over the relevance of the London model to describe VL melting has been settled by this work