First-order phase transition from the vortex liquid to an amorphous solid.
We present a systematic study of the topology of the vortex solid phase in superconducting Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 samples with low doses of columnar defects. A new state of vortex matter imposed by the presence of geometrical contours associated with the random distribution of columns is found. The results show that the first-order liquid-solid transition in this vortex matter does not require a structural symmetry change.
Instituto Balseiro and Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina.
M
M
Menghini
Yanina
Y
Fasano
F
F
de la Cruz
S S
SS
Banerjee
Y
Y
Myasoedov
E
E
Zeldov
C J
CJ
van der Beek
M
M
Konczykowski
T
T
Tamegai