On the interpretation of the equilibrium magnetization in the mixed state of high- Tc superconductors

Abstract

We apply a recently developed scaling procedure to the analysis of equilibrium magnetization M( H) data that were obtained for Tl 2Ba 2CaCu 2O 8+ x and Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8 single crystals and were reported in the literature. The temperature dependencies of the upper critical field and the magnetic field penetration depth resulting from our analysis are distinctly different from those obtained in the original publications. We argue that theoretical models, which are usually employed for analyses of the equilibrium magnetization in the mixed state of type-II superconductors are not adequate for a quantitative description of high- T c superconductors. In addition, we demonstrate that the scaled equilibrium magnetization M( H) curve for a Tl-2212 sample reveals a pronounced kink, suggesting a phase transition in the mixed state.