Driven vortices in 3D layered superconductors: Dynamical ordering along the c-axis

Abstract

We study a 3D model of driven vortices in weakly coupled layered superconductors with strong pinning. Above the critical force $F_c$, we find a plastic flow regime in which pancakes in different layers are uncoupled, corresponding to a pancake gas. At a higher $F$, there is an ``smectic flow'' regime with short-range interlayer order, corresponding to an entangled line liquid. Later, the transverse displacements freeze and vortices become correlated along the c-axis, resulting in a transverse solid. Finally, at a force $F_s$ the longitudinal displacements freeze and we find a coherent solid of rigid lines.

4 pages, 3 postscript figures