First order phase transition of the vortex lattice in twinned YBa2Cu3O7 single crystals in tilted magnetic fields

We present an exhaustive analysis of transport measurements performed in twinned YBa2Cu3O7 single crystals which stablishes that the vortex solid-liquid transition is first order when the magnetic field H is applied at an angle theta away from the direction of the twin planes. We show that the resistive transitions are hysteretic and the V-I curves are non-linear, displaying a characteristic s-shape at the melting line Hm(T), which scales as epsilon(theta)Hm(T,theta). These features are gradually lost when the critical point H*(theta) is approached. Above H*(theta) the V-I characteristics show a linear response in the experimentally accessible V-I window, and the transition becomes reversible. Finally we show that the first order phase transition takes place between a highly correlated vortex liquid in the field direction and a solid state of unknown symmetry. As a consequence, the available data support the scenario for a vortex-line melting rather than a vortex sublimation as recently suggested [T.Sasagawa et al. PRL 80, 4297 (1998)].