Evolution of the Vortex Melting Line with Irradiation Induced Defects

Our experimental research focuses on manipulating pinning deflects to alter the phase diagram of vortex matter, creating new vortex phases. Vortex matter offers a unique opportunity for creating and studying these novel phase transitions through precise control of thermal, pinning and elastic energies. The vortex melting transition in untwinned YB $a_2$C $u_3$ $O_{7-}$ $\delta$/ crystals is investigated in the presence of disorder induced by particle irradiation. We focus on the low disorder regime, where a glassy state and a lattice state can be realized in the same phase diagram. We follow the evolution of the first order vortex melting transition line into a continuous transition line as disorder is increased by irradiation. The transformation is marked by an upward shift in the lower critical point on the melting line. With columnar deflects induced by heavy ion irradiation, we find a second order Bose glass transition line separating the vortex liquid from a Bose glass below the lower critical point. Furthermore, we find an upper threshold of columnar defect concentration beyond which the lower critical point and the first order melting line disappear together. With point deflect clusters induced by proton irradiation, we find evidence for a continuous thermodynamic transition below the lower critical point..