2D-3D CROSSOVER EFFECTS ON THE VORTEX-GLASS PHASE-TRANSITION IN THIN YBA2CU3O7-DELTA FILMS

Nonlinear current-voltage characteristics have been measured for ultra thin (16-400 angstrom) YBa2Cu3O7-delta films in high magnetic fields. A scaling analysis of these data reveals deviations from the universal vortex-glass critical scaling behavior observed for thick films. This is argued to be a dimensionality effect: At large currents, one probe s length scales smaller than the film thickness, i.e., the three-dimen sional (3d) vortex-glass behavior, whereas at low currents the vortex excitations involve typical length scales which exceed the film thickn ess, hence the 2d behavior is exhibited. Further evidence for this pic ture is found from the 3d vortex-glass correlation length, which appea rs to be cut off by the film thickness.