LENGTH-SCALE-DEPENDENT LAYER DECOUPLING AND CRITICAL FLUCTUATIONS IN HIGH-TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS

The dimensionality of critical fluctuations in high-temperature superc onductors in zero applied magnetic field as studied by various methods is addressed hen in the context of;a recently proposed model for laye r decoupling in which the layers become decoupled at the largest lengt h scales first. The results are used to give a coherent picture of the critical behavior of fluctuations in high-temperature superconductors as studied by electronic transport experiments, by specific heat meas urements, by Monte Carlo calculations, and by analytical treatments.