A new type of peak effect in the magnetization of anisotropic superconductors

Experimental and theoretical studies of the magnetization curves M(H) obtai ned for plates of an anisotropic hard superconductor are performed. The sam ples are YBCO single-domain textured crystals with the c axis lying in the sample plane. It is shown that, for some orientations of the magnetic field in the sample plane, the magnetization curves contain additional extrema; at the same time, the virgin magnetization curve M(H) exhibits features cha racteristic of the peak effect. This proves that the anisotropy of the curr ent-carrying ability can give rise to a new type of peak effect. (C) 2001 M AIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".