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A Bragg glass phase in the vortex lattice of a type II superconductor
- Source :
- Nature, Nature, 2001, 413, pp.404, Nature, Nature Publishing Group, 2001, 413, pp.404, HAL
- Publication Year :
- 2001
- Publisher :
- HAL CCSD, 2001.
-
Abstract
- Although crystals are usually quite stable, they are sensitive to a disordered environment: even an infinitesimal amount of impurities can lead to the destruction of the crystalline order. The resulting state of matter has been a longstanding puzzle. Until recently it was believed to be an amorphous state in which the crystal would break into crystallites. But a different theory predicts the existence of a novel phase of matter: the so-called Bragg glass, which is a glass and yet nearly as ordered as a perfect crystal. The lattice of vortices that can contain magnetic flux in type II superconductors provide a good system to investigate these ideas. Here we show that neutron diffraction data of the vortex lattice in type II superconductors provides unambiguous evidence for a weak, power-law decay of the crystalline order characteristic of a Bragg glass. The theory also predicts accurately the electrical transport properties of superconductors; it naturally explains the observed phase transition and the dramatic jumps in the critical current associated with the melting of the Bragg glass. Moreover the model explains experiments as diverse as X-ray scattering in disordered liquid crystals and conductivity of electronic crystals.<br />9 pages, 4 figures
- Subjects :
- Superconductivity
Phase transition
Multidisciplinary
Materials science
Condensed matter physics
Condensed Matter - Superconductivity
FOS: Physical sciences
02 engineering and technology
[PHYS.COND.CM-S] Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]/Superconductivity [cond-mat.supr-con]
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
01 natural sciences
Amorphous solid
Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con)
[PHYS.COND.CM-S]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]/Superconductivity [cond-mat.supr-con]
Perfect crystal
Liquid crystal
Impurity
Condensed Matter::Superconductivity
0103 physical sciences
State of matter
010306 general physics
0210 nano-technology
Type-II superconductor
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00280836, 14764687, and 14764679
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nature, Nature, 2001, 413, pp.404, Nature, Nature Publishing Group, 2001, 413, pp.404, HAL
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....f513894b80b7c5dc857ea05b03d2ec10