Effect of vortex dimensionality on elastic and plastic symmetry transformations induced in vortex matter

We analyse the role played by vortex dimensionality in structural transformations induced at the surface of bulk Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 (extremely anisotropic) and NbSe2 (moderately anisotropic) vortex crystals interacting with two-dimensional square pinning structures. The observation of alternating floating and distorted hexagonal domains induced in the NbSe2 vortex structure contrasts with the square one induced in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8. Despite vortex-vortex interaction energy being similar in both materials, the different elastic characteristics and the dissimilar vortex solidification mechanisms are responsible for the plastic and elastic structural transform at ions detected in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 and NbSe2, respectively. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.