Direct shear probe of vortex lattice melting in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 single crystals

H. PASTORIZA; P. H. KES

PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

APS

Año: 1995 vol. 75 p. 3525 - 3528

0031-9007

We report results of transport measurements on single crystals of the superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8where weak pinning channels in a strong pinning environment were artificially introduced. Theexperimental data show that in this material the shear viscosity of the vortex liquid phase suddenlyincreases upon decreasing the temperature supporting the melting scenario. We also found that belowthe phase transition the data are in good agreement with plastic flow of a vortex solid through thechannels.