Real Space Investigation of order-disorder transition of vortex lattice in Co-intercalated 2H-NbSe2

TL;DR

This study experimentally investigates the order-disorder transition of vortex lattices in Co-intercalated 2H-NbSe2, revealing two topological phase transitions and the influence of crystal symmetry on vortex behavior.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the topological nature of vortex lattice phase transitions and highlights the role of crystal symmetry in vortex lattice disordering.

Findings

Vortex lattice disorders through two topological phase transitions.

Evidence of superheating and supercooling indicating first-order transitions.

Crystalline lattice symmetry influences vortex lattice orientation.

Abstract

The work presented in my doctoral thesis is an experimental investigation of the nature of order to disorder transition of vortex lattice in a Type-II superconductor namely Co-intercalated 2H-NbSe2 using scanning tunnelling spectroscopy and complimentary ac susceptibility measurements. We have shown by performing real space imaging across the magnetic field driven peak effect that the vortex lattice in a 3-dimensional, weakly pinned Type-II superconductor disorders through two distinct topological phase transitions. Clear evidence of superheating and supercooling with different topological property of the metastable states from the actual ground states indicated the nature of both the phase transformations to be of first order. We have also demonstrated the role of underlying crystalline lattice symmetry by showing that it aligns the vortex lattice along preferential directions which is the lattice vectors of the crystal lattice itself. This underlying coupling also has profound implication in the order disorder transition indicating the significant role of vortex lattice-crystal lattice interaction in vortex phase diagram which was earlier being neglected.