The magnetic response of a proximity-coupled superconductor–normal-metal sandwich is studied within the framework of the quasiclassical theory. The magnetization is evaluated for finite values of the applied magnetic field (linear and nonlinear response) at arbitrary temperatures and is used to fit recent experimental low-temperature data. The hysteretic behavior predicted from a Ginzburg-Landau approach and observed in experiments is obtained within the quasiclassical theory and shown to exist also outside the Ginzburg-Landau region. © 1996 The American Physical Society.

• Received 28 August 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.53.5727