Effects of sample size on the second magnetization peak in Bi2Sr2CaCuO8+δ at low temperatures

Effects of sample size on the second magnetization peak (SMP) in Bi₂Sr₂CaCuO₈+δ crystals are observed at low temperatures, above the temperature where the SMP totally disappears. In particular, the onset of the SMP shifts to lower fields as the sample size decreases —a result that could be interpreted as a size effect in the orderdisorder vortex matter phase transition. However, local magnetic measurements trace this effect to metastable disordered vortex states, revealing the same order-disorder transition induction in samples of different size.