Observation of the vortex lattice spinodal in NbSe2

^1,3Z. L. Xiao, ¹O. Dogru, ¹E. Y. Andrei, ^2,4P. Shuk and ²M. Greenblatt

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy,Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08855

²Department of Chemistry Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08855

³National Laboratory, Chicago, Illinois 60439

⁴Emerson Process Management Rosemount Analytical Inc.

Metastable superheated and supercooled vortex lattices in NbSe₂ crystals were probed with fast transport measurements over a wide range of field and temperature. The limit of metastability of the superheated vortex lattice defines a line in the phase diagram that lies below the superconducting transition and is clearly separated from it. This line is identified as the spinodal for the superheated vortex lattice and is in good agreement with recent theoretical predictions. By contrast no limit of metastability is observed for the supercooled lattice.

7425Dw, 7425Fy, 7425Bt