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

Experimental and theoretical studies of the magnetization curves M(H) obtained for plates of an anisotropic hard superconductor are performed. The samples 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 characteristic of the peak effect. This proves that the anisotropy of the current-carrying ability can give rise to a new type of peak effect.