I-TPhase Diagram of Vortices in Layered Superconductors

The critical behavior of vortices in a stack of weakly coupled superconducting layers in the presence of a current $I$ applied parallel to the layers in zero magnetic field is studied using a rigorous, real-space renormalization group study. We identify three characteristic values of the current at which the correlation length changes its behavior. The characteristic currents are found to have a predominantly linear temperature dependence and are identified as phase lines which divide the $I$- $T$ phase diagram of this system into four regions. We find our results provide a sound physical explanation for electronic transport data taken on various high-temperature superconductors.