# To be presented at ”Experimental Workshop on High Temperature Superconductors and Related Materials (Advanced Activities)” to be held from October 19th to November 6th, 1998 in S. C. Bariloche, Argentina. TIFR/CM/98/302(I) SIMULTANEOUS OBSERVATION OF FISHTAIL EFFECT AND PEAK EFFECT IN 2H-NbSe2 S. S. Banerjee1,∗, S. Ramakrishnan1 and A. K. Grover1 G. Ravikumar2, P. K. Mishra2 and V. C. Sahni2 P. L. Gammel3, D. J. Bishop3 and E. Bucher3 S. Bhattacharya4 1Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai-400005, India 2TPPED, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai-400085, India 3Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ 07940, USA 4 NEC Research Institute, 4 Independence Way, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 We report on the discovery of the simultaneous observation of Fishtail Effect (FE) and Peak Effect (PE) via the study of angular dependence of dc magnetization hysteresis loops in a clean crystal of 2H-NbSe2. These result clarify and establish the occurrence of the reentrant characteristics in order to disorder transformation in an isothermal scan close to zero field superconducting transition temperature of 2H- NbSe2. The ubiquitous FE arises from coalescence of two anomalous variations in current density Jc, one of which is related to the collapse of the rigidity FLL close to Hc2 and another one located at very low fields presumably corresponds to the pinning induced order to disorder transformation. When the two effects get well separated, an ordered state of FLL exists in the intermediate field region. PACS numbers :64.70 Dv, 74.60 Ge, 74.25 Dw, 74.60 Ec,74.60 Jg* Corresponding author; e-mail: sb@tifr.res.in

The vortex state of type II superconductors conceived by Abrikosov  encompasses the translational symmetry and such an ideal flux line lattice (FLL) is expected to move with arbitrarily small transport current under the influence of Lorentz force. The chemical impurities and structural imperfections in the underlying atomic lattice in any real sample provide the sources for preferentially pinning the flux lines at the expense of destroying the perfect translational symmetry of the FLL and thereby impart a critical current density (J<sub>c</sub>) to the vortex array. J<sub>c</sub> of any superconducting specimen is expected to monotonically decrease while approaching the superconducting to normal phase boundary as the field increases (at fixed T) or as the temperature increases (at fixed H). However, experimentally one encounters the phenomenon of anomalous maximum in J<sub>c</sub>  with increase in H(or T) in all varieties of superconducting samples. This anomalous maximum in J<sub>c</sub> is referred to either as Peak Effect (PE)  or as Fishtail Effect (FE) . The basis of the latter nomenclature namely, FE, is the characteristic shape of the isothermal dc magnetization hysterisis loop of a pinned type-II superconductor.

As the concept of pinning relates inversely to the notion of perfect periodicity in the underlying symmetry  of FLL, it is now generally accepted that the anomalous maximum in J<sub>c</sub> elucidates the occurrence of order to disorder transformation  in the FLL as a consequence of competition and interplay between the elastic energy, pinning energy and thermal fluctuations . The advent of high T<sub>c</sub> superconductors focused widespread attention  on the issue of thermal melting  of the pure Abrikosov FLL. In recent years, convincing data have been collated in favor of first order nature of melting of FLL in very pure and nearly stoichiometric single crystals of High T<sub>c</sub> cuprates . In the well studied YBa<sub>2</sub>Cu<sub>3</sub>O<sub>7</sub> system, there are evidences that a sharp PE, exists in juxtaposition to the FLL, melting transition  and this coincidence supports a widely held view that a sharp PE located at the edge of depinning transition of FLL is a finger print of collapse of the elastic moduli of the FLL. In slightly off- stoichiometric single crystals of YBa<sub>2</sub>Cu<sub>3</sub>O<sub>7</sub> , the maximum in J<sub>c</sub> has been reported to evolve continuously from a narrow peak lying close to H<sub>c2</sub> (i.e., the usual Peak Effect) to a broad hump extending over a large field region located far away from H<sub>c2</sub> (i.e., the Fishtail Effect) as the effective pinning increases as a consequence of either the increase in quenched random disorder or the decrease in temperature. Thus, notionally, the PE and the FE may be treated as distinct and mutually exclusive features in dc magnetization hysterisis data though intimately related. In the context of single crystals of Bismuth Cuprate system, in which there have been reports of only the fishtail type of anomalous maximum in J<sub>c</sub> , it was demonstrated from $`\mu `$SR studies  that the spatial order of FLL undergoes a sharp change at a field value coincident with the onset of fishtail anomaly in dc magnetization hysteresis data. Another $`\mu `$SR  study in the same Bismuth Cuprate system in different (H, T) region had established that the spatial order of the FLL undergoes a sudden reduction at (H, T) values where melting of FLL was anticipated. Thus, both peak effect and fishtail effect could be associated with the notion of occurrence of order to disorder transformation which is either first order or second order. There have been numerous reports in high T<sub>c</sub> superconductors wherein different phase boundaries across which vortex state undergoes order to disorder transformations corresponding to onset and peak position of fishtail effect have been drawn in the (H, T) space. Some of these phase boundaries match with those phase boundaries drawn from other transport and thermodynamic measurements whereas some others appear to approach them at multicritical points (see, for instance, Fig.4 in  and Fig.4 in ).

Considering that different phases of vortex matter and transformation amongst them are a consequence of competition and interplay between elastic energy , pinning energy and thermal fluctuations, it is of interest to explore the presence of such characteristics in the vortex states of conventional low temperature superconductors in the appropriate (H,T) region. Amongst the low temperature superconductors, the clean single crystals of 2H-NbSe<sub>2</sub> system having T<sub>c</sub>(0) $``$ 7 K are in current focus , from the point of view of pristine physics issues of vortex matter  because of (i) their very weak pinning nature, (ii) their relatively large Ginzburg number value (G<sub>i</sub> $``$ 10<sup>-4</sup>)  and (iii) the existence of a robust PE in them . We present here new results pertaining to the discovery of simultaneous presence of fishtail effect and peak effect in a clean crystal of 2H-NbSe<sub>2</sub> at low fields (in H $`<`$ 1 kOe where the FLL lattice constant a<sub>0</sub> $`>`$ 2000 A<sup>o</sup>) and in the high temperature (T$`/`$T<sub>c</sub>(0) $`>`$ 0.95) region. We believe that these results are the first of their kind. They pertain to a vortex array in its dilute limit where the interaction amongst the vortices is in a nascent stage and the fluctuation effects are very strong due to the close proximity to T<sub>c</sub>(0). These results have lead us to construct phase boundaries in (H,T) space which have the potential to clarify complex issues emerging from studies related to PE/FE/FLL melting in high T<sub>c</sub> cuprates . One specific issue that the simultaneous observation of FE and PE aims to resolve is the reentrant characteristic of order-disorder phase boundary of FLL  as the interaction gets progressively enhanced (with increasing field) while thermal fluctuations (T) and quenched random disorder remain fixed.

For our present study we chose a single crystal of 2H-NbSe<sub>2</sub> (T<sub>c</sub>(0)$``$7.2K with a $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$T<sub>c</sub>$``$50 mK). The sample dimensions are 5 X 2 X 1 mm<sup>3</sup> and J<sub>c</sub> values in it lie below 1000 A/cm<sup>2</sup>. It is our belief that the present sample has a level of purity which lies in between those of the crystals A and B, used by us in our earlier studies . We measured its ac magnetization screening response using a high sensitivity ac-susceptometer  and dc- magnetization using a standard Quantum Design SQUID magnetometer with a specially designed home made sample holder which allows an angular variation of 0<sup>o</sup> to 180<sup>o</sup> between the field H and the ab-plane of the single crystal

Fig.1 shows the temperature dependence of the diamagnetic screening response ($`\chi `$(T)) for the FLL created at different H<sub>dc</sub> ($``$ c) values. From a generalized Critical State Model  relation  :

$$\chi ^{}1+\frac{\alpha .h_{ac}}{J_c},(1)$$

, where $`\alpha `$ is a geometry and size dependent factor and J<sub>c</sub> is the (H,T)- dependent critical current density. From this relationship, it can be deduced that PE phenomenon (i.e., peak in J<sub>c</sub>) should manifest itself as an anomalous increase in the diamagnetic screening response ($`\chi `$(T)) for a given H<sub>dc</sub>. In Fig. 1, we have marked with arrows the peak temperatures T<sub>p</sub> of the PE in $`\chi `$(T) behavior at various H<sub>dc</sub>. It can be seen that T<sub>p</sub> values increase with decreasing H<sub>dc</sub> down to 200 Oe. Further more, another noteworthy feature in $`\chi `$(T) data is that, the PE starts to broaden substantially about T<sub>p</sub> value as one moves to lower fields (from 100 Oe to 50 Oe). To reveal the possible connection between the phenomenon of broadening of PE and the behavior of FLL at low fields it may be pertinent to point out here that, in the field range from 100 Oe to 50 Oe where the PE starts to broaden, the values of a<sub>0</sub> vary from 4800 A<sup>o</sup> to about 6800 A<sup>o</sup>. Recalling that $`\lambda `$<sub>c</sub> $``$ 4550 A<sup>o</sup>, in 2H-NbSe<sub>2</sub> in the (H,T) region under consideration , the vortex array is in the dilute limit (a<sub>0</sub> $`>`$ $`\lambda `$) for H $`<`$ 100 Oe and the flux lines are only weakly interacting , with the result the FLL is in a state which is easily susceptible to thermal fluctuations and pinning effects. The inset in Fig.1 shows the PE curve which has been determined by picking out the field - temperature values at which the peak in PE occurs in $`\chi `$(T) data. The noteworthy features of PE are : (i) at high fields (H $`>`$ 200 Oe) the PE curve tracks the H<sub>c2</sub>(T) curve, such that both of them have a slope of $``$ 5 kOe$`/`$K, however at lower fields (H $`<`$ 100 Oe) the PE curve bends away from the H<sub>c2</sub>(T) curve, (ii) the progressive increase in the size of the error bars on the data points indicates the commencement of process of broadening out of PE phenomenon, while approaching T<sub>c</sub>(0). Our previous studies  had revealed that increased effective pinning broadened out the PE, we thus surmise that an interplay between pinning and thermal fluctuation effects at low H - high T determines the broadening feature in PE in Fig.1. This prompts to investigate the features of PE and its broadening through isothermal magnetization M(H) hysterisis loop measurements, where we study the progression of flux line lattice of varying a<sub>0</sub> under the influence of fixed thermal energy. To perform these isothermal M(H) measurements, we chose particularly those temperatures (close to T<sub>c</sub>(0)), where the PE broadened and the PE curve seems to bend away from H<sub>c2</sub>(T) (see Fig.1).

A superconductor shields itself from any change in external magnetic field by setting up currents equal to J<sub>c</sub>(B), which in turn result in the magnetization M at a given field(H). When one obtains a dc magnetization hysterisis loop, the width of the magnetization hysterisis at a given field, i.e., $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$M ($`\mathrm{\Delta }`$M(H)$`=`$ M(H$``$)$``$M(H$``$)) may be taken as a measure of J<sub>c</sub>. This implies that any non- monotonic variation in the behavior of J<sub>c</sub>(H) can, therefore, show up as an anomalous modulation in the width ($`\mathrm{\Delta }`$M) of the magnetization hysterisis loop. The PE emerges thus as an anomalous bubble like anomaly superposed on the quasi reversible magnetization (M(H)) hysteresis loop (see PE region centered around H<sub>p</sub> in the main panel of Fig.2(a)). In isothermal dc magnetization hysterisis data at T=6.95 K in 2H-NbSe<sub>2</sub>, we observe that there is a well formed PE (anomalous M(H) hysterisis bubble) centered around H<sub>p</sub>$``$1000 Oe (cf. Fig.2(a)) and this peak field value is consistent with the T<sub>p</sub>(H) curve in Fig.1. In Fig.2(a) in the field range from 50 Oe to 250 Oe (see arrow marked H<sub>d</sub> in Fig.2(a)), there is an anomalous modulation in the width of the magnetization hysterisis loop. We can determine the J<sub>c</sub> using the relationship J<sub>c</sub> $``$ $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$M$`/`$d, where d is the thickness of the sample. In the inset of Fig.2(a) the behavior of J<sub>c</sub> versus H at T=6.95 K is shown in dark square symbols on a semi-log plot. Such a J<sub>c</sub>(H) plot shows an overall linear (i.e., J<sub>c</sub> $``$ exp($``$H)) behavior (examine the straight line passing through the data points). It can be easily viewed that in the field range of 70 Oe $``$ H $``$ 250 Oe, there is an anomalous behavior in J<sub>c</sub>(H) which brings out the deviation from the overall linear behavior. We label the center of gravity of this anomaly in J<sub>c</sub> as H<sub>d</sub> at $``$ 100 Oe. The development of this anomaly at H<sub>d</sub> as a function of temperature is investigated by studying the M(H) hysterisis loop (cf. main panel of Fig.2(c)) at T = 7.0 K, where the hysteresis loop seems to be completely anomalous and irreversible in the entire field range from 0 Oe $``$ H $``$ H<sub>c2</sub>. The visible differences that emerge by comparing the M(H) hysterisis loop at T = 7.0 K and T = 6.95 K are : (i) one cannot precisely locate the low field anomaly at H<sub>d</sub> in the M(H) loop at 7.0 K and (ii) one cannot also clearly identify from the M(H) hysteresis curve the upper PE which occurs close to H<sub>c2</sub> . In the inset of Fig.2(c), we have put together the behavior of the J<sub>c</sub>(H) at 7.0 K and 6.95 K. The usual expectation is J<sub>c</sub>(H, T = 7.0K ) $`<`$ J<sub>c</sub>(H, T = 6.95 K), however such an inequality is satisfied only for H $``$ H<sub>d</sub>. At H $`>`$ H<sub>d</sub>, the J<sub>c</sub>(H, T = 7.0K ) $`>`$ J<sub>c</sub>(H, T = 6.95 K ), which is a manifestation of an anomalous behavior in J<sub>c</sub> and it signals the occurrence of peak effect like feature in J<sub>c</sub> at low fields which are far from H<sub>c2</sub>. It thus seems that the anomalous modulation in J<sub>c</sub> at H<sub>d</sub> at 6.95 K in Fig.2(a) is a fingerprint of a low field PE phenomenon and it presumably survives at 7.0 K.

We now present an analysis of the pinning force F<sub>p</sub>($`=`$J<sub>c</sub>$``$H), which brings out features not readily apparent from the M(H) hysteresis data or from the J<sub>c</sub>(H) behavior. We first determine F<sub>p</sub> using the J<sub>c</sub>(H) data extracted from the M(H) hysterisis loops, and we call it F<sub>p</sub>(measured). Next, we construct a monotonically decreasing J<sub>c</sub>(H) which is devoid of any anomalous modulation, i.e., this constructed J<sub>c</sub> gets rid of any PE like features at low fields or at high fields (a procedure to construct such a J<sub>c</sub>(H) can be seen from the semi log plot of J<sub>c</sub>(H) (in the inset of Fig.2(a)) at 6.95 K). Using this constructed J<sub>c</sub>, we determine the pinning force which we call F<sub>p</sub>(constructed)=J<sub>c</sub>(constructed)$``$ H. Finally, we determine $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub>=F<sub>p</sub>(measured) $``$ F<sub>p</sub>(constructed). $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub> is a quantity which can convey signatures of anomalous  changes in the intrinsic pinning force density being experienced by the flux lines. In Figs. 2(b), 2(d), 2(f), 2(h), we have plotted $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub> as a function of H. At 6.95 K (cf. Fig.2(b)), one can clearly distinguish two well resolved PE features in $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub>(H). One PE located at H<sub>d</sub>$``$100 Oe, is the novel low field PE, this peak in $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub> at H<sub>d</sub> coincides with the field at which the anomalous non monotonic low field behavior in J<sub>c</sub>(H) is observed (cf. inset of Fig.2(a)). The other PE, is the high field PE at H<sub>p</sub>, which occurs close to H<sub>c2</sub>. At T=7.0 K (cf. Fig.2(d)), one can again distinguish two well resolved peak like features in $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub>, at H<sub>d</sub> and H<sub>p</sub>. It should be noted that although the M(H) hysteresis loop at 7.0K was devoid of any distinguishing features of PE at H<sub>d</sub> and H<sub>p</sub>, through the present analysis we can now discern features of PE at both H<sub>d</sub> and H<sub>p</sub> in the $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub>(H) plot at 7.0 K. If one now compares the Fig.2(b) with Fig.2(d), it seems that though the PE at H<sub>d</sub> does not move as we change T from 6.95 K to 7.0 K, the H<sub>p</sub> has moved from $``$1000 Oe at 6.95 K to $``$750 Oe at 7.0 K, which is a rate of 5 kOe/K. This slope value of dH<sub>p</sub>/dT, matches well with the slope of the PE curve in the inset of Fig.1, which was determined from temperature dependent ac susceptibility measurements. From the above analysis one can conjecture that due to a motion to lower fields (close to H<sub>d</sub>), of the PE at H<sub>p</sub> at the rate of 5 kOe/K as T is increased, one should be able to see the emergence of a single peak from the coalescence of two well resolved PE peaks in $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub> (i.e., one at H<sub>d</sub> and another at H<sub>p</sub>). We now show the M(H) hysteresis loop at subsequently higher temperatures. The M(H) hysteresis loop at T=7.05 K (cf. Fig. 2(e)), appears even more anomalous than that at 7.0 K. It is a broad, irreversible loop which results in a single broad peak in $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub> (cf. Fig. 2(f)). The M(H) hysterisis loop at 7.05 K now resembles so called “Fishtail Effect Anomaly”. This fishtail effect like anomaly in the M(H) hysteresis loop and in $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub>(H) plot persists at T $``$ 7.05 K. Figs. 2(g) and 2(h) show M(H) hysterisis loop and the F<sub>p</sub>(H) at T = 7.1 K. It is to be noted that the width of the FE anomaly, (i.e., $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$H<sub>d</sub> in Fig.2(b), Fig.2(d), Fig.2(f), Fig.2(h)) has an interesting temperature dependence, we shall discuss it at a later stage. We shall now demonstrate through a sequence of M(H) hysterisis loops obtained at various orientations with respect to the ab plane of the single crystal as to how the composite broad FE effect at 7.0 K (see Fig.2(c)) gets resolved into two anomalous maxima in J<sub>c</sub> which are centered around H<sub>d</sub> and H<sub>p</sub>.

It had been argued by Pippard  and also experimentally seen that the PE peak H<sub>p</sub> always scales with H<sub>c2</sub>. 2H-NbSe<sub>2</sub> is an anisotropic system to which anisotropic Ginzburg-Landau description applies . The angular dependence of H<sub>c2</sub> is given by as H<sub>c2</sub>$`=`$H<sub>c2</sub>($``$c,T)(Sin<sup>2</sup>($`\theta `$)+$`ϵ`$<sup>2</sup>Cos<sup>2</sup>($`\theta `$))<sup>-1/2</sup>, where $`ϵ`$=1$`/`$(Anisotropy of crystal) and $`\theta `$ the angle between H and the ab plane of the single crystal of NbSe<sub>2</sub>. As $`\theta `$ changes from 90<sup>o</sup> to 0<sup>o</sup>, H<sub>c2</sub> increases from the value of H<sub>c2</sub>($``$c,T) to that of H<sub>c2</sub>($``$ab,T), and concomitantly the value of H<sub>p</sub> also follow suit. In Fig.3, the M(H) hysterisis loops in 2H-NbSe<sub>2</sub> at 7.0 K for different $`\theta `$ The insets in each of the Figs. 7(a) to (f) show F<sub>p</sub> vs H$`/`$H<sub>c2</sub>($`\theta `$). In the inset of Fig.3(a) we can see that the low field, maximum in F<sub>p</sub> at H<sub>d</sub> and the high field PE peak at H<sub>p</sub> lie in juxtaposition. When the angle $`\theta `$ changes from 90<sup>o</sup> towards 0<sup>o</sup>, the following features in Fig.3 are noteworthy: (i) In all the insets of Fig.3, the peak in F<sub>p</sub> at H<sub>p</sub> seems to occur at H$`/`$H<sub>c2</sub>($`\theta `$)$``$0.7. (ii) The low field peak in F<sub>p</sub> at H<sub>d</sub> shifts to lower values of H$`/`$H<sub>c2</sub>($`\theta `$) as $`\theta `$ increases (iii) The most striking feature emerging from the plots of Fig.3 is the separating out of the two anomalous modulations in J<sub>c</sub> corresponding to a distinct double peak structure in the F<sub>p</sub>(H) plot. The main panels of Fig. 3 show that by varying $`\theta `$, the PE peak at H<sub>p</sub> moves to higher fields (since H<sub>p</sub>$`/`$H<sub>c2</sub>($`\theta `$)$``$0.7), and as the H<sub>p</sub> value moves sufficiently far away, the novel low field anomalous modulation in J<sub>c</sub> at H<sub>d</sub> gets identified distinctly as an independent feature. If we attempt to fit the observed H<sub>c2</sub>($`\theta `$) behavior to the above stated Ginzburg-Landau relationship, we get a value of $`ϵ`$ as $``$0.5, or an anisotropy of about 2 for 2H-NbSe<sub>2</sub>, which is a satisfactory value for NbSe<sub>2</sub> for H $`<`$ 2 kOe . Thus our anisotropy study of the M(H) hysterisis loop elucidates the fact that, FE could be composed of an anomalous modulation in J<sub>c</sub> centered at low field H<sub>d</sub> and the usual PE peak at H<sub>p</sub>.

We now summarize our discussion and propose a schematic for the low H and high T part of the vortex phase diagram. In the inset of Fig.1(a), we had presented a phase diagram which comprised the PE phase boundary T<sub>p</sub> (H) across which the FLL disorders into an amorphous phase. However, this phase diagram is incomplete as it does not give us any indication of changes in the vortex matter occurring at field values such as at H<sub>d</sub> and $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$H<sub>d</sub>, which we can observe from the isothermal M(H) hysteresis loops. Returning to Fig.2, we consider the behavior of the width $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$H<sub>d</sub> of the low field PE centered at H<sub>d</sub>. Shown in Fig.4, is a shaded region which is obtained by estimating the full width at half maximum of the peak in $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub> at H<sub>d</sub> in $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$F<sub>p</sub>(H) plots (cf. Fig.2) at different T’s. This high pinning shaded region is bounded by two curves H<sub>d</sub><sup>lower</sup> and H<sub>d</sub><sup>upper</sup>, where $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$H<sub>d</sub> = $`|`$H<sub>d</sub><sup>upper</sup> \- H<sub>d</sub><sup>lower</sup>$`|`$. The width $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$H<sub>d</sub> seems to increase with T and reaches a maximum at about T = 7.05 K and above this temperature (cf. Fig.2), the width $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$H<sub>d</sub> appears to decrease again. At very low H (a<sub>0</sub> $`>`$ $`\lambda `$), where the rigidity of the FLL (viz. c<sub>66</sub> $``$ exp(-a<sub>0</sub>/$`\lambda `$)) is exponentially small, the FLL is highly susceptible to thermal fluctuations and pinning effects which could disorder the FLL. For vortex states corresponding to the shaded region of Fig.4 (low H - high T), the weak rigidity permits thermal fluctuations and pinning effects to dominate as evidenced by the broad hump in the M-H curves and hence the FLL states in the shaded region belong to “disordered phase” of vortex matter which is presumably characterized by a small Larkin volume V<sub>c</sub>. We now attempt to explore features in our temperature dependent ac susceptibility and dc magnetization data which can possibly be linked to the phase labelled as the “disordered phase” in the H-T plane . As implied from the above analysis, $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$H<sub>d</sub> identifies the field span over which J<sub>c</sub>(H) varies anomalously. In temperature dependent ac susceptibility data, the broadening of PE peak commenced in isofield runs at H $`<`$ 1kOe. We believe that the said broadening is a consequence of encountering the shaded region in fixed H scan (see Fig.4). On the other hand, in fixed T scan in dc magnetisation hysteresis data, the “lower” PE and “upper” PE appear as distinct features if H<sub>d</sub><sup>upper</sup> line lies sufficiently far below the H<sub>c2</sub> line. In the field range between the H<sub>d</sub><sup>upper</sup> and the PE region, the vortex state do not show any anomalous variation in J<sub>c</sub>. We, therefore, feel that such FLL states identify the well ordered vortex solid. However in the field region above the point A (marked in main panel of Fig.4 ), where the shaded region and the H<sub>p</sub> line have merged, if one records an isothermal M(H) hysteresis loop, then this would be the region where the two PE would have merged and would have the appearance of the Fishtail like effect. Above H<sub>p</sub> and below H<sub>irr</sub> curves , the FLL is presumably in an amorphous state with non zero pinning. Such amorphous state maybe indistinguishable in its pinning behavior from the “disordered phase” in the shaded region. Hence, we propose that the vortex region between H<sub>p</sub> and H<sub>irr</sub> lines and the shaded region labeled as the “disordered phase” essentially identify the same vortex phase. In the inset of Fig.4, we show the phase boundary across which the ordered solid disorders. This has been constructed by combining the H<sub>p</sub> curve, to the H<sub>d</sub><sup>upper</sup> curve (see main panel of Fig.4). This new phase boundary across, designated as H<sub>ord</sub> in the inset of Fig.4, has a reentrant nature, i.e., in fixed T scan, the order-disorder boundary shall be encountered twice. Such a reentrant characteristic is reminiscent of reentrant nature of the FLL melting curve of a pure (pinning free) Abrikosov state, first proposed by D. R. Nelson . Between this newly constructed reentrant H<sub>ord</sub>(T) line and the H<sub>irr</sub>(T) line, the vortex matter can be designated as the “pinned liquid phase”, following the nomenclature in vogue in the literature on vortex state studies .

In conclusion we may state that 2H-NbSe<sub>2</sub>, seems to be an appropriate system, whose intrinsic parameters, make the phase boundaries, across which the various phases of vortex matter exists, become accessible to within experimental limits. Though the present set of results are the first preliminary steps in characterizing the different phases of vortex matter, the experimental and theoretical investigations in this field are wide open to enormous possibilities and opportunities.

We would like to acknowledge Nandini Trivedi, Satya Majumder and Mahesh Chandran for fruitful discussions.