3D XY and lowest Landau level fluctuations in deoxygenated YBCO thin films

Abstract

Conductivity measurements reflect vortex solid melting in YBCO films. Field-independent glass exponents nu_g=1.9 and z_g=4.0 describe the transition T_g(H) for 0<H<26 T. At low fields, 3D XY exponents nu_{XY}=0.63 and z_{XY}=1.25 are also observed, with z_{XY} smaller than expected. These compete with glass scaling according to multicritical theory. A predicted power-law form of T_g(H) is observed for 0.5T_c<T_g<T_c. For T_g<0.5T_c, 3D XY scaling fails, but a lowest Landau level analysis becomes possible, obtaining T_{c2}(H) with positive curvature.