Effect of disorder on the vortex-lattice melting transition

Abstract

We use a three dimensional stacked triangular network of Josephson junctions as a model for the study of vortex structure in the mixed state of high Tc superconductors. We show that the addition of disorder destroys the first order melting transition occurring for clean samples. The melting transition splits in two different (continuous) transitions, ocurring at temperatures Ti and Tp (>Ti). At Ti the perpendicular-to-field superconductivity is lost, and at Tp the parallel-to-field superconductivity is lost. These results agree well with recent experiments in YBaCuO.