Mechanism of thermally activated c-axis dissipation in layered High-T$_c$ superconductors at high fields

Abstract

We propose a simple model which explains experimental behavior of $c$-axis resistivity in layered High-T$_c$ superconductors at high fields in a limited temperature range. It is generally accepted that the in-plane dissipation at low temperatures is caused by small concentration of mobile pancake vortices whose diffusive motion is thermally activated. We demonstrate that in such situation a finite conductivity appears also in $c$-direction due to the phase slips between the planes caused by the mobile pancakes. The model gives universal relation between the components of conductivity which is in good agreement with experimental data.