Anisotropy field measurements using an extended rotational remanence

technique

1. Introduction

The anisotropy field and its distribution is a very important parameter for determining
potential applications of magnetic recording media. In commercial applications, recording
media properties are generally characterized by standard hysteresis parameters such as the
coercivity. However, this is related not only to the magnetic particle properties but also to
way the particles are incorporated into the matrix, such as the orientation of the particle
easy axes. The advantage of anisotropy field distribution measurement is that, although the
particle interactions still influence the results, other properties of the matrix are excluded so
that results relate more to the potential of a “particle type” to the application rather than to
the specific coating under investigation. This is because a single domain particle makes a
contribution to the anisotropy field related to its switching field when its easy axis is
aligned with the applied field but it is still under the influence of interactions with other
constituent components of its magnetic environment. On the other hand, a particle
contribution to coecivity is related to its switching field with the particle easy axis in its
present orientation to the applied field. Many techniques have been developed to measure
the anisotropy field and anisotropy field distribution using remanent torque magnetometry
[1,2] or vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements [3,4]. Rotational hysteresis
has also been extensively used for effective anisotropy field measurements [5,6]. Many of
the techniques determine the anisotropy field using experiments which involve switching
processes. Anisotropy field can be also measured using non-switching techniques, such
transverse susceptibility. Bissell and Sollis [7] have been used transverse susceptibility for
anisotropy field measurements and magnetic thickness calculation on Cr02 systems. In this
paper, we describe a method for determination of the anisotropy field distribution and the
effective mean anisotropy field of the particles using a bi-axial VSM. The technique is an
extension of the remanent magnetometry method described previously [3,4], but higher
precision results are reported using our extended experiment and involving an extrapolation
for greater accuracy.

2. Experimental method and discussions

The experimental technique is similar to remanent torque magnetometry, except that direct
measurement of the magnetization change is used rather than torque measurement. The
effective anisotropy field is estimated by identifying the field value required to produce
switching if applied at an angle close to 90º from the in plane symmetry direction of the
sample easy axis distribution (easy axis of the system). A field big enough to saturate the
sample is applied and then removed at 90º with respect to the easy axis (on hard axis of the
system) (Fig.1(a)). In this remanent state, the sample is rotated through a small ang
Starting from small values, magnetic fields are applied and removed and after each the
removal the change in remanence is measured perpendicular to the applied field direction.
Gradually increasing the fields, one obtains variations of the magnetic remanence which are
due to the sequential reversal of the moments of the particles making an angle between 0º

easy axis easy axis measuring direction

(a) (b)
Fig.1 – Steps of the experimental technique:
(a) – saturation on hard axis, (b) – small rotation and gradually switching of
the particles situated in a small solid angle

The differential of the remanence curve obtained by varying the applied field from zero to
saturation field gives the anisotropy field distribution of the sample.
In order the results to be closer to the real switching field distribution one must use very
ery small angles are difficult as the
signal becomes too small to be measured and the error increases. Most of the reported

extended the technique by repeating the measurements for several different rotational
angles from 5º to 25º. By plotting the peak field value against the rotational angle, it is
found that these values lie approximately on a straight line which can be extrapolated back
the extrapolated line with the field axis should give a
more accurate value of the anisotropy field.
A theoretical validation of this technique was made using a simulated ensemble of single
domain spherical particles. The dynamics of the magnetic moment of each particle were
described by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation [9]. The particles, which had a
lognormal volume distribution and a gaussian easy axes distribution, were arranged
randomly in rectangular blocks to represent a series of tapes of thickness in the range 3 to
30 average particle radii. Periodic boundaries were used in the plane of the tape and the
sequence of field used in the experimental technique was applied to each of the samples.
In fig. 2 we present the anisotropy field distributions measured for a 5º rotation angle, the
mean anisotropy field is taken as the field value corresponding to the maximum of the
curve. One can observe that the resulting mean value differs as a function of the thickness
of the sample and that the measured value is considerably smaller than the known value of
Hk0 used in simulation.
 Fig.2 – Simulations of switching field distributions measurements for three samples

Fig.3 – Results of the linear extrapolation technique for the three samples

In fig. 3 the results of the extended technique are shown. One can remark that as the value
of the rotation angle used during the measurements increases (90º-
Hk0 is further than the real Hk0. The results show a correlation between the anisotropy field
and magnetic coating thickness. The dependence shows that as the magnetic thickness
increases, the anisotropy field also increases.
This result could be understood in terms of interactions between particles. In an ideal
medium consisting of magnetically isolated particles, the measured anisotropy field value
represents the anisotropy field of the individual particles. However, in a real system, the
magnetic anisotropy field is reduced by inter-particular magnetostatic interactions, since
this anisotropy field is mainly caused by shape anisotropy due to magnetostatic energy [8].
Therefore, the measured anisotropy field values represent a mean effective anisotropy field,
which includes the interaction effects. Recently, theoretical investigations on the
magnetostatic interactions in particulate media have revealed a clear dependence of the
mean interaction field with the magnetic coating thickness [9]. It has been shown that a 2D
system of particles has a larger mean interaction field than that of a 3D system of particles.
As a consequence, the interaction effects are more pronounced for thinner medium. Since
the anisotropy field of metal particles is reduced by the inter-particular magnetostatic
interactions, as explained earlier, for a thinner medium, the anisotropy field is smaller. This
theoretical result [9] is in agreement with above simulations (fig. 3).
3. Conclusions

An extended technique for anisotropy field measurements, which leads to a more precise
anisotropy determination, has been developed and verified using a micromagnetic model.
The results point to an influence of the magnetic thickness on the anisotropy field,
demonstrated by the anisotropy field variation with respect to the thickness. The results are
in agreement with the recent theoretical studies of the interactions effects in particulate
media.

References

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