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Title: Paramagnetic ac susceptibility at the first-order vortex-lattice phase transition

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Condensed Matter Physics, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot (Israel)
  2. CNRS, URA 1380, Laboratoire des Solides Irradies, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau (France)

A sharp paramagnetic peak in the local ac susceptibility {chi}{sup {prime}} at the first-order vortex-lattice phase transition in Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} crystals is found. Observation of this peak establishes the thermodynamic nature of the transition and allows accurate evaluation of the equilibrium magnetization step height. The associated estimated entropy change {Delta}{ital s} reaches values in excess of 6{ital k}{sub {ital B}} per pancake vortex close to {ital T}{sub {ital c}}. The local {chi}{sup {double_prime}} shows two independent dissipation peaks. The broader one is caused by the onset of irreversible magnetization, whereas the narrow one is due to hysteresis at the phase transition. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

OSTI ID:
286712
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Vol. 54, Issue 6; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English