English

Distinct vortex-glass phases in Yb$_{3}$Rh$_{4}$Sn$_{13}$ at high and low magnetic fields

Superconductivity 2015-06-03 v3

Abstract

The vortex lattice (VL) in the mixed state of the stannide superconductor Yb3_{3}Rh4_{4}Sn13_{13} has been studied using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The field dependencies of the normalized longitudinal and transverse correlation lengths of the VL, ξL/a0\xi_L/a_0 and ξT/a0\xi_T /a_0, reveal two distinct anomalies that are associated with vortex-glass phases below μ0Hl\mu_0H_l~\approx~700~G and above μ0Hh\mu_{0}H_h~\sim~1.7~T (a0a_0 is the intervortex distance). At high fields, around 1.7~T, the longitudinal correlation decreases abruptly with increasing fields indicating a weakening (but not a complete destruction) of the VL due to a phase transition into a glassy phase, below μ0Hc2\mu_{0}H_{c_2}(1.8 K)~\approx~2.5~T. ξL/a0\xi_L/a_0 and ξT/a0\xi_T /a_0, gradually decrease for decreasing fields of strengths less than 1~T and tend towards zero. The shear elastic modulus c66c_{66} and the tilting elastic modulus c44c_{44} vanish at a critical field μ0Hl\mu_0H_l~\approx~700~G, providing evidence for a disorder-induced transition into a vortex-glass. A 'ring' of scattered intensity is observed for fields lower than 700~G, i.e.i.e., μ0Hc1\mu_{0}H_{c_1}~=~135~G~<<~μ0H\mu_{0}H~<<~700~G. This low-field phenomenon is of different nature than the one observed at high fields, where ξL/a0\xi_L/a_0 but not ξT/a0\xi_T/a_0, decreases abruptly to an intermediate value.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1407.0569,
  title  = {Distinct vortex-glass phases in Yb$_{3}$Rh$_{4}$Sn$_{13}$ at high and low magnetic fields},
  author = {D. G. Mazzone and J. L. Gavilano and R. Sibille and M. Ramakrishnan and C. D. Dewhurst and M. Kenzelmann},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1407.0569},
  year   = {2015}
}