Persistence of the first-order transition lines in mesoscopic Bi${}_2$Sr${}_2$CaCu${}_2$O${}_8$ vortex matter with less than hundred vortices

Abstract

The persistence of the first-order transition line in the phase diagram of mesoscopic Bi${}_2$Sr${}_2$CaCu${}_2$O${}_8$ vortex matter is detected down to a system size of less than hundred vortices. Precise and highly-sensitive to bulk currents AC magnetization techniques proved to be mandatory in order to obtain this information. The location of the vortex matter first-order transition lines are not altered by decreasing the sample size down to 20 $\mu$m. Nevertheless, the onset of irreversible magnetization is affected by increasing the sample surface-to-volume ratio producing a noticeable enlargement of the irreversible vortex region above the second-peak transition.

8 pages, 8 figures

References in corpus (5)

• Inverse melting of the vortex lattice
• First order phase transition from the vortex liquid to an amorphous solid
• Vortex fluctuations in underdoped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d crystals
• Latent-heat and non-linear vortex liquid at the vicinity of the first-order phase transition in layered high-Tc superconductors
• Geometrical confinement effects in layered mesoscopic vortex-matter

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Hyperuniform vortex patterns at the surface of type-II superconductors
• Oscillating paramagnetic Meissner effect and Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in $B{i}_{2}S{r}_{2}CaC{u}_2{O}_{8+\delta }$ monolayer
• Excess of topological defects induced by confinement in vortex nanocrystals
• Finite-size effects in hyperuniform vortex matter
• Enhancement of penetration field in vortex nanocrystals due to Andreev bound states
• Second ac screening step as a probe for the first-order melting transition in layered vortex matter at intermediate temperatures
• Bridge in micron-sized Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+y sample act as converging lens for vortices
• Detection of discretized single-shell penetration in mesoscopic vortex matter