An Interpretation of the Neutron Scattering Data on Flux Lattices of Superconductors

Abstract

Small angle neutron diffraction experiments are analyzed using recently developed and properly generalized one-field effective free energy method. In the case of experiment of Keimer et al on YBCO, we show that the fourfold symmetry of the underlying crystal is explicitly broken, but the reflection with respect to the [110] and [1\={1}0] axes remains a symmetry. The vortex lattice also becomes generally oblique instead of rectangular body centered. Unexpectedly rich phase diagram is described.