Magnetic field dependence of the harmonic generation in sintered pellets of YBaCuO. The history effects

Results are presented for a detailed study of harmonic generation in the magnetization of a sintered YBa2Cu3O7 pellet subjected to various combinations of AC and DC magnetic field. On cooling the sample below Tc in zero field, a large hysteresis is observed between HDC increasing and decreasing cases. General features of this observation can be understood in terms of the hysteretic properties of the weak-linked intergrain region mediated by trapped flux inside the grains. However, there remain some finer aspects which do not have a simple explanation within this model. (orig.)