Abstract
We study 2D solids with weak substrate disorder, using Coulomb gas renormalization. The melting transition is found to be replaced by a sharp crossover between a high temperature liquid with thermally induced dislocations, and a low temperature glassy regime with disorder induced dislocations. We compute the length scale, larger than the Larkin length, beyond which these disorder induced defects appear. We discuss experimental consequences, reminiscent of melting, such as size effects in vortex flow and ac response in superconducting films.
- Received 18 December 1997
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.1881
©1998 American Physical Society
