  We report on measurements of higher harmonics of the ac voltage response in
strips of YBa2Cu3O7 thin films as a function of temperature, frequency and ac
current amplitude. The third (fifth) harmonic of the local voltage is found to
exhibit a negative (positive) peak at the superconducting transition
temperature and their amplitudes are closely related to the slope (derivative)
of the first (Ohmic) harmonic. The peaks practically do not depend on frequency
and no even (second or fourth) harmonics are detected. The observed data can be
interpreted in terms of ac current induced thermal modulation of the sample
temperature added to strong thermally activated fluctuations in the transition
region.
