A comparison has been made of irreversibility temperature determined by four different methods in few specimens of lead (type-I) and niobium (type-II). The merger ofM_ZFC(T) andM_FC(T) curves giveT_r(H) values lower than those evident from vanishing the hysteresis in isothermal DC magnetization. The identification of peak temperature inx″_H(T) data withT_r(H) is appropriate only if the contribution from changes in the normal state electrodynamics can be isolated and the peak is narrow. The appearance of differential paramagnetic effect inx′_H(T) data is adequate to imply reversibility, however, its efficacy to precisely locate irreversibility line remains to be established.

The design of a simple and inexpensive³He insert for the existing ac susceptometer is described. The system uses a home built mutual inductance bridge for the ac susceptibility measurements from 0·4 K to 300 K. Simple and inexpensive design with the top loading facility are the main features of this set up. The insert can also be used as a continuously³He operating refrigerator down to 0·5 K.

We describe a simple, low cost pc based card for the measurement of heat capacity using adiabatic calorimetry at low temperatures. This card provides the control pulse to the sample heater as well as trigger pulse to the nano-voltmeter which monitors the sensor voltage (Ge sensor, Lake Shore Inc., USA). We have also added a 12 bit DAC on this card and this is used for remote setting of the heater current of an old SHE (now Biomagnetic, Inc., USA, model CCS) analog constant current source. Although this card is used here for heat-capacity measurements, the same can also be used for thermo-power and thermal-conductivity measurements.

We review the observation of novel charge density wave (CDW) transitions in ternary R₅Ir₄Si₁₀ compounds. A high quality single crystal of Lu₅Ir₄Si₁₀ shows the formation of a commensurate CDW along c-axis below 80 K in the (h, 0, l) plane that coexists with BCS type superconductivity below 3.9 K. However, in a single crystal of Er₅Ir₄Si₁₀, one observes the development of a 1D-incommensurate CDW at 155 K, which then locks into a purely commensurate state below 55 K. The well-localized Er³ moments are antiferromagnetically ordered below 2.8 K which results in the coexistence of strongly coupled CDW with local moment antiferromagnetism in Er₅Ir₄Si₁₀. Unlike conventional CDW systems, extremely sharp transition (width ∼ 1.5 K) in all bulk properties along with huge heat capacity anomalies in these compounds makes this CDW transition an interesting one.

The weakly pinned single crystals of the hexagonal 2H-NbSe₂ compound have emerged as prototypes for determining and characterizing the phase boundaries of the possible order-disorder transformations in the vortex matter. We present here a status report based on the ac and dc magnetization measurements of the peak effect phenomenon in three crystals of 2H-NbSe₂, in which the critical current densities vary over two orders of magnitude. We sketch the generic vortex phase diagram of a weakly pinned superconductor, which also utilizes theoretical proposals. We also establish the connection between the metastability effects and pinning.

Results of an investigation of the path dependence of the critical current density J_c due to the plastic deformation of the flux line lattice in a weakly pinned YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) crystal for H‖c are reported. The procedure of minor hysteresis loops has been used to explore the path dependence of J_c and the metastability effects. Contrary to the behavior observed in low T_c systems. in YBCO it is found that at low temperatures, the multivaluedness in J_c(H) could persist beyond the notional peak field H_p, at which the anomalous variation in J_c(H) reaches its maximum value.

We have studied the peak effect (PE) phenomenon in single crystals of weakly pinned superconductors CeRu₂ and 2H-NbS₂. 2H-NbS₂ is iso-structural and iso-electronic to 2H-NbSe₂, whose similarity with CeRu₂ as regards the PE representing the order-to-disorder transformation of the flux line lattice was claimed some time ago. We report on the step change in equilibrium magnetization across the peak effect in CeRu₂. We also present the vortex phase diagram of 2H-NbS₂ obtained from the magnetization data, and compare the PE phenomenon in 2H-NbS₂ and 2H-NbSe₂.

A comparative study of the thermomagnetic memory effects of J_c in two weakly pinned low T_c superconductors, Ca₃Rh₄Sn₁₃ (CaRhSn) and Yb₃Rh₄Sn₁₃ (YbRhSn), is presented. In both the systems, the peak effect (PE) phenomenon appears as an order-disorder transformation through stepwise amorphization of the flux line lattice (FLL). However, in CaRhSn. we can witness another disorder-driven transition (Bragg glass (BG) to a vortex glass (VG) in a distinct manner as in a single crystal of high T_c YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ for H‖c.