Giant out-of-plane magnetoresistance in Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O: A new dissipation mechanism in copper-oxide superconductors?

We have measured the anisotropic magnetoresistivity tensor of single-crystal Bi₂{Sr}₂CaCu₂{O}₈$ in the normal and in the mixed state. For magnetic fields applied perpendicular to the Cu-O (a-b) planes, the out-of-plane (c-axis) resistivity displays a huge magnetic enhancement, and a large apparent depression in the resistively measured transition temperature Tc (c axis). No such depression is observed in Tc(a-b plane). Although these results suggest a field-induced anisotropy in Tc, we propose an alternate model of novel Lorentz-force-independent fluctuation-induced dissipation in the mixed state. The model may also account for the anomalous anisotropic magnetoresistance observed in layered low-Tc superconductors.