Lamellar mesophase nucleated by Josephson vortices at the melting of the vortex lattice in $Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+delta}$

Abstract

The local effect of the Josephson vortices on the vortex lattice melting process in \BSCCO crystals in the presence of an in-plane field $H_{ab}$ is studied by differential magneto-optical imaging. The melting process is found to commence along the Josephson vortex stacks, forming a mesomorphic phase of periodic liquid and solid lamellas, the direction and spacing of which are controlled by $H_{ab}$. The reduction of the local melting field $H_m$ along the Josephson vortex stacks is more than an order of magnitude larger than the reduction of the average bulk $H_m$ by $H_{ab}$.