Effect of fluctuations on vortex lattice structural transitions in superconductors

The rhombic-to-square transition field H(square)(T) for cubic and tetragonal materials in fields along [001] is evaluated using the nonlocal London theory with the account of thermal vortex fluctuations. Unlike extended Ginzburg-Landau models, our approach shows that the line H(square)(T) and the upper critical field H(c2)(T) do not cross due to strong fluctuations near H(c2)(T) which suppress the square anisotropy induced by the nonlocality. In increasing fields, fluctuations cause a reentrance of the rhombic vortex lattice, in agreement with recent neutron scattering data on borocarbides.