Vortex Chains in Anisotropic Superconductors

Abstract

High-T_c superconductors in small magnetic fields directed away from the crystal symmetry axes have been found to exhibit inhomogeneous chains of flux lines (vortices), in contrast to the usual regular triangular flux-line lattice. We review the experimental observations of these chains, and summarize the theoretical background that explains their appearance. We treat separately two classes of chains: those that appear in superconductors with moderate anisotropy due to an attractive part of the interaction between tilted flux lines, and those with high anisotropy where the tilted magnetic flux is created by two independent and perpendicular crossing lattices. In the second case it is the indirect attraction between a flux line along the layers (Josephson vortex) and a flux line perpendicular to the layers (pancake vortex stack) that leads to the formation of chains of the pancake vortex stacks. This complex system contains a rich variety of phenomena, with several different equilibrium phases, and an extraordinary dynamic interplay between the two sets of crossing vortices. We compare the theoretical predictions of these phenomena with the experimental observations made to date. We also contrast the different techniques used to make these observations. While it is clear that this system forms a wonderful playground for probing the formation of structures with competing interactions, we conclude that there are important practical implications of the vortex chains that appear in highly anisotropic superconductors.

Topical review for Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter; large pdf file 1.9Mb

References in corpus (10)

• The Flux-Line Lattice in Superconductors
• Inverse melting of the vortex lattice
• Crossing lattices, vortex chains, and angular dependence of melting line in layered superconductors
• Decoration of Josephson Vortices by Pancake Vortices in Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox
• Vortex-chain phases in layered superconductors
• Attraction between pancakes vortices in the crossing lattices of layered superconductors
• Josephson vortices and solitons inside pancake vortex lattice in layered superconductors
• Phase Transitions in Isolated Vortex Chains
• Pancake vortices
• Incommensuration Effects and Dynamics in Vortex Chains

Cited by in corpus (15)

• Novel vortex structures in dipolar condensates
• Two-dimensional vortex behavior in highly underdoped YBa_2Cu_3O_{6+x} observed by scanning Hall probe microscopy
• Search for broken time-reversal symmetry near the surface of YBCO films using Beta-NMR
• Josephson vortex lattice in layered superconductors
• Composite to tilted vortex lattice transition in $B{i}_{2}S{r}_{2}CaC{u}_2{O}_{8+\delta }$ in oblique fields
• Slowing down Josephson vortex lattice in Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+d} with pancake vortices
• Observation of two species of vortices in the anisotropic spin-triplet superconductor $S{r}_{2}Ru{O}_4$
• Suppression of geometrical barrier in $B{i}_{2}S{r}_{2}CaC{u}_2{O}_{8+\delta }$ crystals by Josephson vortex stacks
• Vortex Chain States in a Ferromagnet/Superconductor Bilayer
• Fluctuating pancake vortices revealed by dissipation of Josephson vortex lattice
• Vortex clusters and multiquanta flux lattices in thin films of anisotropic superconductors
• Stripe Domains and First Order Phase Transition in the Vortex Matter of Anisotropic High-temperature Superconductors
• Lamellar mesophase nucleated by Josephson vortices at the melting of the vortex lattice in $B{i}_{2}S{r}_{2}CaC{u}_2{O}_{8+delta}$
• Pre-melting of crossing vortex lattices
• Mapping the dynamic interactions between vortex species in highly anisotropic superconductors