Vortex phase diagram studies in the weakly pinned single crystals of YNi₂B₂C and LuNi₂B₂C

Abstract

We present a study of magnetization measurements performed on the single crystals of YNi₂B₂C and LuNi₂B₂C. For both the compounds, we find flux jumps in magnetisation values in the respective field regions, where the structural transitions in the flux line lattice symmetry have been reported in these systems via the small angle neutron scattering experiments. The magnetisation hysteresis loops and the AC susceptibility measurements show pronounced peak effect as well as second magnetisation peak anomaly for both YNi₂B₂C and LuNi₂B₂C. Based on these results, a vortex phase diagram has been constructed for YNi₂B₂C forH∥c depicting different glassy phases of the vortex matter.