The discrete data points in Fig. 1 show the range of torque values measured during field scans. These values were multiplied by to correct for incomplete flux penetration in the field-scanned measurements. This form approximately accounts for the sample's slab geometry with the factor chosen to scale the maximum torque for convenient comparison. As was the case in the rotating-field experiments, hysteresis during field scans was unmeasurably small, indicating weak pinning.
Agreement also is good for fields aligned with the -axis.
Such barriers suggest rigidity in the vortex ensemble, and thus solid-like character. The presence of a phase transition at this orientation is further suggested by the change in slope of at . Trends in , the maximum torque for a given field, similarly shed light on the flux lines' structure and collective configuration at the lock-in transition. 2 shows the maximum torque normalized by the applied field as a function of the applied field. Normalizing in this way provides insight into a single flux line's yield strain.