Evidence of first-order transition between vortex glass and Bragg glass phases in high-T c superconductors with point pins: Monte Carlo simulations

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Phase transition between the vortex glass and the Bragg glass phases in high-T c superconductors in B∥c is studied by Monte Carlo simulations in the presence of point pins. A finite latent heat and a δ-function peak of the specific heat are observed, which clearly indicates that this is a thermodynamic first-order phase transition. Values of the entropy jump and the Lindemann number are consistent with those of melting transitions. A large jump of the inter-layer phase difference is consistent with the recent Josephson plasma resonance experiment of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊y by Gaifullin et al.