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Milne & Dunlop 2006
Milne, G.A. and Dunlop, D.J. (2006). Angular variation of the magnetic properties and reversal mode of aligned single-domain iron nanoparticles. Journal of Geophysical Research 111. doi: 10.1029/2006JB004530. issn: 0148-0227.

We report magnetic hysteresis and back-field demagnetization data measured at 10¿ intervals of the angle ψ between the applied field H and the long (magnetically easy) axes of aligned elongated single-domain iron particles electrodeposited in regularly spaced surface pores in an Al substrate. Our three samples have identical particle diameters, d = 17 nm, but varying axial ratios l/d and spacings dc. Measured hysteresis loops resemble "hysterons" predicted by fanning, curling, and coherent rotation models of magnetization reversal, except for two features. For ψ = 0--60¿, particle magnetizations do not reverse simultaneously at a single critical field: distributed particle coercivities produce steep but nonvertical loop segments. Broadened ψ = 80--90¿ loops indicate imperfectly aligned particles. Comparing coercive force Hc(ψ) with theoretical variations for different angular dispersions of axes and Mrs/Ms data with a theoretical cos ψ variation, we find a variance of 6--8.5¿ in particle alignment. The Hc(ψ) results most closely resemble the theoretical variation for fanning rotations when ψ ≤ 50¿ and coherent rotations when ψ > 50¿. A predicted hump in the Hc(ψ) curve at intermediate angles marking the changeover from one mechanism to the other is suppressed by particle interactions (packing factors p of 0.127--0.373). Remanent coercive force measurements Hcr(ψ) show that irreversible changes, unlike reversible rotations, are incoherent at both large and small ψ. Hcr continues to rise, to a high of 340--430 mT, as ψ → 90¿, whereas Hc(ψ) decreases over the same range. Hcr(ψ) results at large ψ favor fanning reversals for one sample and curling reversals for the other two. A Day plot of Mrs/Ms versus Hcr/Hc data gives a novel and distinctive trend from which ψ can determined within ¿5¿ for aligned uniaxial particles.

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Abstract

Keywords
Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism, Rock and mineral magnetism, Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism, Magnetic fabrics and anisotropy, Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism, Planetary magnetism, all frequencies and wavelengths
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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