Inferring equilibrium magnetization from hysteretic M−H curves of type-II superconductors

Abstract

Isothermal M−H curves, coupled with the critical state model, are routinely used to extract critical current density Jc(B); and the limitations and validity are well understood. These hysteretic M−H curves can also be used to estimate the equilibrium magnetization Meq(H), and this paper discusses the validity of such a procedure using analytically tractable models for Jc(H). We put special emphasis on the case where the M−H curve shows a fish tail or peak effect, and an experimental procedure to estimate errors in the inferred Meq(H) is presented. The need to infer Meq(H) is underscored by recent experimental works speculating on thermodynamic phase transitions between vortex phases having intrinsic pinning.

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