StonerWohlfarth model

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The StonerWohlfarth model is a widely used model for the magnetization of single-domain ferromagnets.
[1]
It is a simple example of magnetic hysteresis and is useful for modeling small magnetic particles in magnetic
storage, biomagnetism, rock magnetism and paleomagnetism.
Contents
1 History
2 Description
2.1 Equations
2.2 Hysteresis loops
2.3 Dependence on field direction
3 Predictions for homogeneous, isotropic systems
3.1 Hysteresis
3.2 Isothermal remanence
4 More general systems
4.1 Wohlfarth relations
5 Extensions of the model
6 Notes
7 References
History
The StonerWohlfarth model was developed by Edmund Clifton Stoner and Erich Peter Wohlfarth and
published in 1948.
[1]
It included a numerical calculation of the integrated response of randomly oriented
magnets. Since this was done before computers were widely available, they resorted to trigonometric tables and
hand calculations.
Description
In the StonerWohlfarth model, the magnetization does not vary within the ferromagnet and it is represented by
a vector M. This vector rotates as the magnetic field H changes. The magnetic field is only varied along a
single axis; its scalar value h is positive in one direction and negative in the opposite direction. The ferromagnet
is assumed to have a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with anisotropy parameter K
u
. As the magnetic field varies,
the magnetization is restricted to the plane containing the magnetic field direction and the easy axis. It can
therefore be represented by a single angle , the angle between the magnetization and the field (Figure 1). Also
specified is the angle between the field and the easy axis.
Equations
The energy of the system is
Figure 1. Illustration of the variables used in the
StonerWolhfarth model. The dashed line is the
easy axis of the particle.



(1)
where V is the volume of the magnet, M
s
is the saturation
magnetization, and
0
is the vacuum permeability. The first
term is the magnetic anisotropy and the second the energy
of coupling with the applied field (often called the Zeeman
energy).
Stoner and Wohlfarth normalized this equation:



(2)
where h =
0
M
s
H/2K
u
. A given magnetization direction
is in mechanical equilibrium if the forces on it are zero. This
occurs when the first derivative of the energy with respect to
the magnetization direction is zero:



(3)
This direction is stable against perturbations when it is at an energy minimum, having a positive second
derivative:



(4)
In zero field the magnetic anisotropy term is minimized when the magnetization is aligned with the easy axis. In
a large field, the magnetization is pointed towards the field.
[1]
Hysteresis loops
For each angle between easy axis and field, equation (3) has a solution that consists of two solution curves. It
is trivial to solve for these curves by varying and solving for h. There is one curve for between 0 and and
another for between and 2; the solutions at = 0 and correspond to h = .
[1]
Since the magnetization in the direction of the field is M
s
cos , these curves are usually plotted in the
normalized form m
h
vs. h, where m
h
= cos is the component of magnetization in the direction of the field.
An example is shown in Figure 2. The solid red and blue curves connect stable magnetization directions. For
fields 1/2 h 1/2, the two curves overlap and there are two stable directions. This is the region where
hysteresis occurs. Three energy profiles are included (insets). The red and blue stars are the stable
magnetization directions, corresponding to energy minima. Where the vertical dashed lines intersect the red and
blue dashed lines, the magnetization directions are energy maxima and determine the energy barriers between
states.
[1]
In an ordinary magnetic hysteresis measurement, h starts at a large positive value and is decreased to a large
Figure 2. An example solution of the Stoner
Wolhfarth model. Both h and m
h
are between 1
and +1. The solid red and blue curves are energy
minima, the dashed red and blue lines are energy
maxima. Energy profiles are included for three
vertical profiles (insets).
Figure 3. Some hysteresis loops predicted by the
StonerWolhfarth model for different angles
between the field and easy axis.
negative value. The magnetization direction starts on the
blue curve. At h = 0.5 the red curve appears, but for h > 0
the blue state has a lower energy because it is closer to the
direction of the magnetic field. When the field becomes
negative, the red state has the lower energy, but the
magnetization cannot immediately jump to this new
direction because there is an energy barrier in between (see
the insets). At h = 0.5, however, the energy barrier
disappears, and in more negative fields the blue state no
longer exists. It must therefore jump to the red state. After
this jump, the magnetization remains on the red curve until
the field increases past h = 0.5, where it jumps to the blue
curve. Usually only the hysteresis loop is plotted; the energy
maxima are only of interest if the effect of thermal
fluctuations is calculated.
[1]
The StonerWohlfarth model is a classic example of
magnetic hysteresis. The loop is symmetric (by a 180

rotation) about the origin and jumps occur at h = h

s
,
where h
s
is known as the switching field. All the hysteresis
occurs at h
s
.
Dependence on field direction
The shape of the hysteresis loop has a strong dependence on
the angle between the magnetic field and the easy axis
(Figure 3). If the two are parallel ( = 0), the hysteresis
loop is at its biggest (with m
h
= h
s
= 1 in normalized
units). The magnetization starts parallel to the field and does
not rotate until it becomes unstable and jumps to the
opposite direction. In general, the larger the angle, the more
reversible rotation occurs. At the other extreme of = 90

,
with the field perpendicular to the easy axis, no jump
occurs. The magnetization rotates continuously from one
direction to the other (it has two choices of rotation
direction, though).
For a given angle , the switching field is the point where
the solution switches from an energy minimum
(
2
/
2
> 0) to an energy maximum (
2
/
2
< 0).
Thus, it can be calculated directly by solving equation (3) along with
2
/
2
= 0. The solution is



(5)
where
Figure 4. Main hysteresis loop for an isotropic
sample with identical particles. The magnetization
and field are normalized (m
h
= M
H
/M
s
,
h = H/2K
u
). The curve starting at the origin is the
initial magnetization curve. Double arrows
represent reversible change, a single arrow
irreversible change.



(6)
In normalized units, 0.5 h
s
1.
[1]
An alternative way of representing the switching field solution is to divide the vector field h into a component
h
||
= h cos that is parallel to the easy axis, and a component h

= h sin that is perpendicular. Then

(7)
If the components are plotted against each other, the result is a StonerWohlfarth astroid. A magnetic hysteresis
loop can be calculated by applying a geometric construction to this astroid.
[2]
Predictions for homogeneous, isotropic systems
Hysteresis
Stoner and Wohlfarth calculated the main hysteresis loop for
an isotropic system of randomly oriented, identical particles.
The result of the calculation is reproduced in Figure 4.
Irreversible change (single arrow) occurs for 0.5 < |h| < 1,
reversible change (double arrows) elsewhere. The
normalized saturation remanence m
rs
and coercivity h
c
are
indicated on the figure. The curve in the center is the initial
magnetization curve. This simulates the behavior of the
sample if it is demagnetized before applying a field. The
demagnetization is assumed to leave each particle with an
equal probability of being magnetized in either of the two
directions parallel to the easy axis. Thus, it is an average of
the upper and lower branches of the main loop.
[1]
Isothermal remanence
Some remanence calculations for randomly oriented,
identical particles are shown in Figure 5. Isothermal
remanent magnetization (IRM) is acquired after
demagnetizing the sample and then applying a field. The
curve m
ir
(h) shows the normalized remanence as a function
of the field. No change occurs until h = 0.5 because all the
switching fields are larger than 0.5. Up to this field,
changes in magnetization are reversible. The magnetization reaches saturation at h = 1, the largest switching
field.
The other two types of remanence involve demagnetizing a saturation isothermal remanence (SIRM), so in
normalized units they start at 1. Again, nothing happens to the remanence until the field reaches 0.5. The field
at which m
dc
reaches zero is called the coercivity of remanence.
Figure 5. Three kinds of isothermal remanence for
an isotropic system of randomly oriented, identical
particles. The remanences are m
ir
, isothermal
remanent magnetization; m
af
, alternating field
demagnetization remanence; and m
dc
, dc
demagnetization remanence.
Parameter Prediction
Hysteresis parameters
predicted for identical,
randomly oriented
particles
Some magnetic hysteresis
parameters predicted by this
calculation are shown in the table
to the right. The normalized
quantities used in the above
equations have been expressed in
terms of the normal measured
quantities. The parameter H
cr
is
the coercivity of remanence and
0
is the initial susceptibility (the
magnetic susceptibility of a
demagnetized sample).
[1]
More general systems
The above calculations are for identical particles. In a real
sample the magnetic anisotropy parameter K
u
will be
different for each particle. This does not change the ratio
M
rs
/M
s
, but it does change the overall shape of the loop.
[3]
A parameter that is often used to characterize the shape of
the loop is the ratio H
cr
/H
c
, which is 1.09 for a sample
with identical particles and larger if they are not identical. Plots of M
rs
/M
s
against H
cr
/H
c
are widely used in
rock magnetism as a measure of the domain state (single-domain or multidomain) in magnetic minerals.
[4]
Wohlfarth relations
Wohlfarth identified relations between the remanences that hold true for any system of StonerWohlfarth
particles:



(8)
These Wohlfarth relations compare IRM with demagnetization of saturation remanence. Wohlfarth also
described more general relations comparing the acquiring a non-saturation IRM and demagnetizing it.
[3]
The Wohlfarth relations can be represented by linear plots of one remanence against another. These Henkel
plots are often used to display measured remanence curves of real samples and determine whether Stoner
Wohlfarth theory applies to them.
[5]
Extensions of the model
The StonerWohlfarth model is useful in part because it is so simple, but it often falls short of representing the
actual magnetic properties of a magnet. There are several ways in which it has been extended:
Generalizing the magnetic anisotropy: Hysteresis loops have been calculated for particles with pure cubic
magnetocrystalline anisotropy as well as mixtures of cubic and uniaxial anisotropy.
Adding thermal fluctuations: Thermal fluctuations make jumps between stable states possible, reducing
the hysteresis in the system. Pfeiffer
[6]
added the effect of thermal fluctuations to the StonerWohlfarth
model. This makes the hysteresis dependent on the size of the magnetic particle. As the particle size (and
the time between jumps) decreases, it eventually crosses over into superparamagnetism.
Adding particle interactions: Magnetostatic or exchange coupling between magnets can have a large
effect on the magnetic properties. If the magnets are in a chain, they may act in unison, behaving much
like StonerWohlfarth particles. This effect is seen in the magnetosomes of magnetotactic bacteria. In
other arrangements, the interactions may reduce the hysteresis.
Generalizing to non-uniform magnetization: This is the domain of micromagnetics.
Notes
^
a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i
Stoner & Wohlfarth 1948 1.
^ Mayergoyz 2003 2.
^
a

b
Wohlfarth 1958 3.
^ Day, Fuller & Schmidt 1977 4.
^ Zhang et al. 2003 5.
^ Pfeiffer 1990 6.
References
Day, R.; Fuller, M.; Schmidt, V. A. (1977). "Hysteresis properties of titanomagnetites: grain-size and compositional
dependence". Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 13 (4): 260267. Bibcode:1977PEPI...13..260D
(http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1977PEPI...13..260D). doi:10.1016/0031-9201(77)90108-X (http://dx.doi.org
/10.1016%2F0031-9201%2877%2990108-X).
Mayergoyz, Isaak D. (2003). Mathematical Models of Hysteresis and their Applications (Second ed.). Academic
Press. ISBN 978-0124808737.
Pfeiffer, H. (1990). "Determination of anisotropy field distribution in particle assemblies taking into account thermal
fluctuations". Physica Status Solidi A 118 (1): 295306. Bibcode:1990PSSAR.118..295P (http://adsabs.harvard.edu
/abs/1990PSSAR.118..295P). doi:10.1002/pssa.2211180133 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fpssa.2211180133).
Stoner, E. C.; Wohlfarth, E. P. (1948). "A mechanism of magnetic hysteresis in heterogeneous alloys". Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society A: Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences 240 (826): 599642.
Bibcode:1948RSPTA.240..599S (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1948RSPTA.240..599S). doi:10.1098/rsta.1948.0007
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1098%2Frsta.1948.0007).
Wohlfarth, E. P. (1958). "Relations between different modes of acquisition of the remanent magnetization of
ferromagnetic particles". Journal of Applied Physics 29 (3): 595596. Bibcode:1958JAP....29..595W
(http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1958JAP....29..595W). doi:10.1063/1.1723232 (http://dx.doi.org
/10.1063%2F1.1723232).
Zhang, H.; Rong, C.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, S.; Zhang, Shao-Ying; Shen, Bao-gen (2003). "Investigation on intergrain
exchange coupling of nanocrystalline permanent magnets by Henkel plot". Applied Physics Letters 82 (23):
40984100. Bibcode:2003ApPhL..82.4098Z (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003ApPhL..82.4098Z).
doi:10.1063/1.1576291 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1063%2F1.1576291).
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