Harmonic Susceptibility and Irreversibility Line of YBa2Cu3O7 Films

Complex harmonic susceptibility of Y-Ba-Cu-O films has been investigated with a dc magnetic field, ranging from 10-4 to 5 T, applied parallel to the c-axis. Harmonic susceptibility profiles are explained by the Kim critical-state model of magnetization. We propose a novel criterion to determine the irreversibility line in terms of complex third-harmonic susceptibility. The irreversibility line of Y-Ba-Cu-O films is not described simply by a single power law, but rather two steep transitions.