Voltage noise near the vortex-liquid–vortex-glass boundary.

We have performed simultaneous measurements of the ac complex resistivity, current–voltage characteristics, and current-induced voltage noise of a thick amorphous Mo<f>x</f>Si<f>1−x</f> film in various fields H from zero to high fields near the vortex-glass transition (VGT) <f>Hg</f>. We find that the origin of noise changes remarkably as a function of H. Noise is large both in the Meissner and VG phases but falls near or below the background level in the field regions just below and above the VG phase. The former field region is interpreted as an upper bound of a “lower liquid phase” intruding between the Meissner and VG phases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]