We investigate the relation between the vortex structure and the dissipation mechanism in strongly layered superconductors when a large magnetic field is applied parallel to the layers. At high enough temperatures the vortex lattice undergoes a transition to a smectic state characterized by a vanishing interlayer shear. The elastic properties of this state lead to novel conditions for Kosterlitz-Thouless-type behavior, resulting in an algebraic current-voltage characteristic down to vanishing current densities.

• Received 6 November 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.66.2392