Monte Carlo simulation of layered high-temperature superconductors

Abstract

We present results from Monte Carlo simulations of the vortex state in layered high temperature superconductors. We use a set of potentials derived from the Lawrence-Doniach free-energy functional which incorporates (i) intra-layer coupling (ii) inter-layer Josephson and electromagnetic interactions. We have employed a novel technique for performing an in-plane infinite lattice summation for the intra-layer interactions. This provides a minimum 50,000 times faster speed-up in the simulations over previous naïve methods which add periodic images in shells of increasing radius. We present results of the numerical B-T phase diagram in the pure system and obtain good agreement with available experimental/theoretical results.