@article{ISI:000177911700107,
 abstract = {We use numerical minimization of a model free energy functional to study
the effects of columnar pinning centers on the structure and
thermodynamics of a system of pancake vortices in the mixed phase of
highly anisotropic layered superconductors. The magnetic field and the
columnar pins are assumed to be perpendicular to the layers. Our methods
allow us to study in detail the density distribution of vortices in real
space. We present results for the dependence of the average number of
vortices trapped at a pinning center on temperature and pinning
strength, and for the effective interaction between nearby pinned
vortices arising from short-range correlations in the vortex liquid. For
a commensurate, periodic array of pinning centers, we find a line of
first order vortex lattice melting transitions in the temperature T vs
pin concentration c plane, which terminates at an experimentally
accessible critical point as c is increased. Beyond this point, the
transition is replaced by a crossover. Our results should also apply,
with little change, to thin-film superconductors with strong point
pinning.},
 article-number = {064518},
 author = {Dasgupta, C and Valls, OT},
 doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.66.064518},
 issn = {1098-0121},
 journal = {PHYSICAL REVIEW B},
 month = {AUG 1},
 number = {6},
 orcid-numbers = {Dasgupta, Chandan/0000-0002-0302-1881},
 times-cited = {16},
 title = {Vortices in layered superconductors with columnar pins: A
density-functional study},
 unique-id = {ISI:000177911700107},
 volume = {66},
 year = {2002}
}