Hysteretic properties of a two dimensional array of small magnetic particles: a test-bed for the Preisach model

The magnetization process of a regular two-dimensional array of small, strongly uniaxial single domain magnetic garnet particles, groups of particles, and major loop properties of a "macroscopic" sample, has been investigated experimentally and simulated numerically. These particles correspond to the assumptions of a simple Preisach model. The switching mode is by rotation. Each particle has a square hysteresis loop, with no reversible or apparent reversible component. Requirements of wiping-out and congruency properties are satisfied. From measurements of the up- and down switching fields on individual particles, the major loop can be reconstructed, and it is shown to be in in excellent agreement with the measured one. The transition from individual to collective behavior is smooth and the properties of a system, consisting of 100 particles, correspond to the major loop behavior. The numerically simulated major hysteresis loops agree very well with the measured loops, the switching sequence and the magnetization curve for particle assembly was derived from the calculated interaction fields and found to be in a very good agreement with the measured values, demonstrating the reliability of numerical modeling. A new property, not included into the existing models, is the magnetization dependence of the standard deviation of the interaction field

Rotational and domain wall motion aftereffect in a patterned array of small particles

Aftereffect for magnetization processes by rotation and by domain wall motion was investigated on the same, single domain, two-state system of a square 2D (two-dimensional) array of garnet particles. Aftereffect measurements were performed magnetooptically. The particles are thermally stable, the particle energy is 10(-6) erg compared to the thermal energy of 10(-12) erg. No aftereffect of rotation switching of the system of "up" and "down" magnetized particles could be observed at room temperature. At increased temperatures thermally activated switching, very weakly depending on magnetic field, is observed. Each individual particle can be demagnetized into a metastable stripe domain structure. The barrier for DW (domain wall) motion is much lower than the barrier for rotation, and a significant aftereffect was measured on the same particles, demagnetized into a domain structure. The observed time dependence for DW aftereffect is exponential, M(t)/Ms=d* exp(-et), where d=0.04, and e=1/tau follows the increase of the magnetization with field, de/dH=0.021 /s/Oe

TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE OF DOMAIN-WALL COERCIVE FIELD IN MAGNETIC GARNET-FILMS

The coercive properties of magnetically uniaxial liquid-phase epitaxy garnet films were investigated between 10 K and the Neel temperature (T(N) less-than-or-equal-to 500 K). Two independent methods, the results of which are nearly identical (magnetical response of oscillating domain walls and the method of coercive loops measured in a vibrating sample magnetometer), were used. Besides the usual domain-wall coercive field, H(dw), the critical coercive pressure, p(dw), was also introduced as it describes in a direct way the interactions of the domain walls with the wall-pinning traps. Both H(dw) and p(dw) were found to increase exponentially with decreasing temperature. Three different types of wall-pinning traps were identified in the sample and their strength, their rate of change with temperature, and their temperature range of activity were determined