New vortex-matter size effect observed in Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8 + delta).
The vortex-matter 3D to 2D phase transition is studied in micron-sized Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8 + delta) single crystals using local Hall magnetization measurements. At a given temperature, the second magnetization peak, the signature of a possible 3D--2D vortex phase transition, disappears for samples smaller than a critical length. We suggest that this critical length should be equated with the 2D vortex lattice ab-plane correlation length R(2D)(c). The magnitude and temperature dependence of R(2D)(c) agree well with Larkin-Ovchinnikov collective pinning theory.
Wang
Y M
YM
Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Fuhrer
M S
MS
Zettl
A
A
Ooi
S
S
Tamegai
T
T