Probing commensurate ground states of Josephson vortex in layered superconductors.

Because of the commensurability condition between the vortex lattice constant determined by external magnetic field and the nano-scale layered structure, interlayer Josephson vortices (JVs) in high-Tc cuprate superconductors can take various configurations. We have simulated with Langevin scheme the in-plane flux-flow dynamics of JVs subject to point-like pinning centers. Oscillation in resistivity is found with the applied magnetic field, where the resistivity peaks occur around commensurate JV configurations. We have also measured the resistivity experimentally using single crystals of underdoped YBa2Cu3Oy with the anisotropy parameter gamma approximately equal to 50. A unique JV lattice has been detected for the first time.