LOW-FIELD PHASE-DIAGRAM OF LAYERED SUPERCONDUCTORS - THE ROLE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC COUPLING

We determine the position and shape of the melting line in a layered s uperconductor, emphasizing the importance of electromagnetic interacti ons in the vortex system. In the limit of vanishing Josephson coupling we obtain a generic reentrant low-field melting line. Finite Josephso n coupling pushes the melting line to higher temperatures and fields a nd a line shape B-m proportional to (1 - T/T-c)(3/2) is found. We cons truct the low-field phase diagram including melting and decoupling lin es and discuss various experiments in the light of our results.