Peak effect and dynamic melting of vortex matter in NbSe${}_2$ crystals

Abstract

We present a mode locking (ML) phenomenon of vortex matter observed around the peak effect regime of 2H-NbSe${}_2$ pure single crystals. The ML features allow us not only to trace how the shear rigidity of driven vortices persists on approaching the second critical field, but also to demonstrate a dynamic melting transition of driven vortices at a given velocity. We observe the velocity dependent melting signatures in the peak effect regime, which reveal a crossover between the disorder-induced transition at small velocity and the thermally induced transition at large velocity. This uncovers the relationship between the peak effect and the thermal melting.

To appear in Physical Review Letter