Vortex matter driven through mesoscopic channels

Abstract The dynamics of vortex matter confined to mesoscopic channels has been investigated by means of mode locking experiments. When vortices are coherently driven through the potential provided by static vortices pinned in the channel edges, interference between the washboard frequency of the moving vortex lattice and the frequency of the superimposed rf-drive causes (Shapiro-like) steps in the dc- I – V curves. The position of the voltage steps uniquely determines the number of moving rows in each channel. It also shows how the frustration between row spacing and channel width behaves as a function of magnetic field. Maxima in flow stress (∼ I c ) occur at mismatch conditions. They are related to the traffic-jam-like flow impedance caused by the disorder in the edges. At higher fields, near the 2D-melting line B m ( T ), the mode-locking interference characteristic for crystalline motion, strongly depends on the velocity, i.e. the applied frequency at which the vortex motion is probed. The minimum velocity at which coherent motion could be observed, diverges when the melting line is approached from below. Above the melting line interference is absent for any frequency. These observations give the first direct evidence for a dynamic phase transition of vortex matter driven through a disorder potential as predicted by Koshelev and Vinokur.