The vacuum of the diagonal quasiparticles contains original spin bosons: . Thus the quantum depletion of Néel order gives
In one dimension . Removing the global zero modes with an infrared cutoff, the continuum integral contains near both gapless points and diverges logarithmically as the cutoff is removed. This is a breakdown of the assumed Néel order reference, not a physical infinitely negative magnetization. It indicates that the one-dimensional ordered spin-wave expansion cannot maintain a finite staggered moment; it does not determine the exact spectral gap or all properties of the spin chain for arbitrary .
At zero temperature in dimensions the singular contribution scales as . It is infrared finite for , permitting a finite quantum reduction and a self-consistent ordered spin-wave description in an appropriate regime. This differs from the positive-temperature contribution, where yields . Its divergence for agrees with the Mermin-Wagner theorem for short-range continuous-symmetry models. Finite-temperature nonordering and the zero-temperature one-dimensional depletion argument are separate statements.
An order parameter distinguishes thermodynamic phases and transforms under the symmetry that may be broken. For a scalar ferromagnet it is the magnetization per site; a disordered zero-field phase has , while ordered pure thermodynamic phases have . In a fluid one can instead use the density measured relative to its critical value; the field conjugate to it is then related to the chemical potential rather than literally a magnetic field. A nonzero value in the presence of an explicit conjugate field is not by itself evidence of a spontaneous transition.
The LG theory describes a slowly varying local order parameter by a symmetry-constrained free-energy functional, for example
At , a symmetry excludes odd powers. The coefficients are assumed analytic functions of the controls near the transition, and the expansion is stabilized by a positive highest retained even coefficient. The Landau approximation obtains equilibrium by minimizing this functional, neglecting long-wavelength fluctuation corrections. Its nonconvex local potential describes distinct candidate phases and mean-field metastability; the exact thermodynamic potential is convexified when macroscopic mixtures are admitted.
In a finite symmetric system, the zero-field expectation of can vanish even below the transition because both ordered orientations are sampled. Spontaneous order is defined by taking the thermodynamic limit before removing a selecting field, for example . This distinction also matters for the connected correlations used below.
The scaling hypothesis for critical phenomena says that the singular part of the equilibrium free energy is a generalized homogeneous function of its thermal and field-like controls. Smooth backgrounds must first be removed; the hypothesis does not claim that the entire free energy, including arbitrary regular terms, has a pure scaling form.
For the ordinary scalar quartic LG theory, set with and , and rescale the uniform order parameter as
The order-parameter-dependent free-energy density becomes
Define as the minimum of the braces, with the sign of the quadratic term respectively positive or negative. Consequently
For an extensive , additionally contains the system volume. The printed double-inequality subscript labels the two temperature branches: the upper-temperature function is and the lower-temperature function is . It does not classify positive and negative magnetic fields. In particular and ; below the transition the field dependence has a cusp at zero, so derivatives are taken on a selected branch.
For the following derivatives, take to be a density, so is the magnetization density; for total free energy the derivative gives total magnetization instead. Differentiate this mean-field scalar free-energy scaling form. The magnetization is , giving and . The magnetic susceptibility is , giving . At zero field the nonzero curvature amplitudes are and .
To allow nonclassical critical exponents, replace the fixed powers by
The heat-capacity critical exponent is defined by ; temperature differentiation gives the thermal exponent in . The order-parameter critical exponent has , and the magnetic-susceptibility critical exponent has . Differentiating the scaling form gives
Eliminating proves the Rushbrooke scaling relation
The critical-isotherm exponent is defined by . At fixed small , the limit requires , so that the temperature factors cancel. Therefore , yielding . But the two differentiated identities also give , and hence the Widom scaling relation
These are relations among the leading power indices. At marginal dimensions, multiplicative logarithms can accompany them, and an additive analytic background must not be mistaken for the singular scaling contribution.
For the canonical partition function , differentiation at fixed temperature gives . Thus the average spin per particle, or magnetization in these units, is .
In the Landau theory approximation, choose the global minimum of the Landau free energy as a function of the magnetization. Since , the polynomial is a coercive function and a global minimum exists. The candidates are stationary points satisfying
Check their values of the free-energy density; a stationary point or a metastable local minimum alone need not be the equilibrium state. Positive curvature ensures local stability; when it vanishes, higher terms must be checked. The selected global minimum is the equilibrium magnetization within this approximation.
At zero magnetic field, equal opposite minima describe distinct phases exhibiting spontaneous symmetry breaking. A spontaneous magnetization is obtained by taking the thermodynamic limit before or . A symmetric finite-volume average can instead have zero expectation even when the minima are nonzero. Thus one must specify the phase when interpreting the minimizer as the equilibrium expectation.
Discuss the zero-field phase boundaries, taking and writing , , . This qualification matters because a conjugate field generally rounds the zero-field continuous transition. Nonzero stationary points satisfy .
For , the continuous phase transition occurs at
On the side the only stable phase is ; on the side the equilibrium global minima are with . The magnetization therefore grows continuously from zero as changes sign.
For , the first-order phase transition instead occurs while is positive. At phase coexistence, and are equally deep global minimum points. With , stationarity and equality of free energies give
Eliminating gives , hence
At this coexistence value, the sextic even Landau potential factors as . This verifies that the three equal stationary values are global minima. Above this coexistence value of the disordered phase wins; below it the ordered phase wins, with a finite jump in the phase-selected magnetization. The values and are the disordered and ordered spinodal points, respectively, not the coexistence boundary: the latter follows from the repeated root of .
The two transition loci meet at the tricritical point,
Two independent control parameters such as and can tune these two conditions. In a generic local phase diagram their coefficient map has a Jacobian matrix of rank two at the intersection; unspecified functions and do not by themselves determine the geometric orientation of the boundaries. The sextic term stabilizes this intersection and the negative-quartic first-order side.
For , rescale the order parameter by . Write and introduce dimensionless scaling variables
Every term then has the common energy-density factor :
Minimizing over defines the tricritical crossover scaling functions
For the minimized potential, following the paper's notation , this proves
The exponent names here are unrelated to the couplings in question 2. The expression concerns the specified order-parameter polynomial; a general material can also have a smooth, field-independent background free-energy density. Such a background should be separated before writing a homogeneous singular scaling form. A potential at prescribed magnetization, instead of prescribed field, is a different Legendre transform and is not obtained by this minimization.
There is a needed qualification to the printed single and nonzero-value condition. At , the ordered branch has minimizers and , whereas the disordered branch has minimizer zero and . Thus
For example, , gives an identically zero minimized polynomial, contradicting a nonzero on that side. The valid scaling statement uses separate sign branches, or restricts the asserted nonzero value to approach from the ordered side. At the displayed coordinates are singular; the critical isotherm is obtained as a limit or directly from the equation of state.
The magnetization is magnetic dipole moment per unit volume. It produces bound volume and surface current density
Starting from the vector potential of magnetic dipoles and integrating by parts gives
which has precisely the form generated by those bound currents.
Write the cylinder radius as and use cylindrical radius . Ampère's law for the free axial current gives, inside the material,
At this is tangential to the cylinder. Since ,
and
For , the bound surface current therefore runs opposite to the free wire current.
At the first-order phase transition, the central minimum and two nonzero minima are degenerate, with barriers between them. Writing , stationarity and equal free energies give
Their difference gives , so
The magnitude of the magnetization therefore jumps from zero to
The two possible signs are related by the model's spin-reversal symmetry.
The magnetization is magnetic dipole moment per unit volume. In magnetostatics it produces
The magnetic field intensity obeys
so isolates free currents while accounts for bound currents. For a linear isotropic material, .
Ampere's law for a circular loop around the free line current gives
in both media. Therefore
At , the net bound surface-current density is
Hence its magnitude is
and for a positive current along it points along when , reversing when .
For the partition function , differentiation with respect to the external field gives
Therefore the magnetization per site is
Several historical models represented the same broad magnetic observations in different ways:
James Clerk Maxwell's later treatment explicitly contrasts the induction model associated with Siméon Denis Poisson with Weber's permanently magnetic molecules and discusses the predicted saturation limit.[ref] Its 1873 date is retained; the chapter is used to explain the earlier hypotheses, not attributed to an 1865 publication.
Experiments constrain these models. Cutting a magnet produces smaller magnets with both poles, rather than simply separating free north and south charges. A current loop and an ordinary magnet also have closely related external dipole fields. Such facts explain the utility of molecular dipoles and currents, but do not uniquely identify the microscopic constituents. Modern magnetic domains, electron spin and quantum magnetic ordering refine the account; classical loops and freely turning isolated molecular magnets are incomplete microscopic pictures of a real ferromagnet. An effective pole calculation must likewise be distinguished from claiming an observed isolated magnetic monopole.
The coils form a mutual induction apparatus. Changing primary electric current changes secondary magnetic flux linkage . Faraday's law of induction gives
On closing the primary circuit, increasing electric current produces a transient secondary electric current and galvanometer deflection. By Lenz's law its direction opposes the increasing magnetic flux. Once primary electric current and core magnetization are steady, the derivative vanishes: the galvanometer returns to zero despite the continuing magnetic field.
On opening the circuit, the decreasing magnetic flux induces a secondary electric current tending to sustain that flux. The galvanometer deflects oppositely, then returns to zero. Making and breaking produce opposite transient deflections; steady primary current produces no sustained induced current.
For fixed linear coils, and , with mutual inductance . Opposite equal changes of primary electric current give opposite equal areas under the induced-electromotive force curves in that model. Peak sizes can differ with switching times. Real iron-core magnetic hysteresis and remanent magnetization can also change the flux excursion, so equality of the actual peaks is not required.
Along the easy axis, expect an approximately rectangular loop: after saturation the remanent magnetization is close to , and reversal occurs near through nucleation and domain-wall motion. Permalloy is magnetically soft, so is ordinarily small, although defects and growth conditions set its actual value.
Figure 1.
Easy-axis switching and hard-axis rotation for an idealized uniaxial thin film
. Source. Details.
The axes are in and applied in . are symbolic because their measured values are not supplied. The deposition field establishes an axis; it is not the measured coercive or anisotropy field.
In a vibrating-sample magnetometer, a magnetized specimen vibrates sinusoidally in a nominally uniform applied field. Its motion changes the magnetic flux through stationary pickup coils, producing an induced voltage by Faraday's law of induction. The component at the vibration frequency is proportional to the sample magnetic moment times vibration amplitude and frequency, for a calibrated coil geometry.
A lock-in detector referenced to the vibration extracts this small signal. Calibrate with a known moment, stabilize the vibration amplitude and sweep the applied field to measure a magnetization loop. Dividing moment by film volume gives in ; the silicon substrate and holder background must be subtracted for such a thin film.[ref]
Only the magnetic-response physics is addressed here; biological and clinical application is user-deferred.
A single-domain particle has an approximately coherent magnetic dipole moment, but single-domain does not by itself imply rapid thermal reversal. If moments equilibrate within the measurement time, a dilute, noninteracting ensemble is superparamagnetic: its quasistatic magnetization is reversible, odd in field and approaches saturation with negligible remanence or magnetic coercivity.
For freely orientable classical moments,
At small field, ; at large field moments align. This Langevin form is an ideal limit, not a universal exact curve for anisotropic fixed-axis particles.
The missing timescale/magnetic anisotropy information must be stated: blocked single-domain particles can already show hysteresis. Also, a reversible quasistatic curve does not preclude a finite-frequency loss loop when relaxation lags an alternating field. The original curves illustrate an equilibrated dilute limit and possible blocked/interacting alternatives, not measured treatment performance.
Figure 1.
Conditional magnetic loops and electrostatic screening profiles
. Original illustrative magnetic curves and calculated planar mean-field ion profiles. Magnetic-loop broadening is one possible interaction outcome, not a concentration-dependent experimental fit or a clinical prediction. Details.
Spin-polarized injection produces different spin-resolved electrochemical potentials in Cu, . Their imbalance diffuses beyond the charge-current path. Oppositely directed spin-resolved currents can cancel in net charge while transporting spin.
The second Py contact is a spin-selective voltage probe. In a weakly invasive model,
Its open-circuit potential adjusts until the total detector charge current vanishes. That potential changes when the detector magnetization reverses relative to the injected spins. Zero detector charge current does not imply zero spin imbalance or zero measured voltage.
Reverse injector current and each electrode's alignment to test the predicted signal symmetries. Remove spin-independent thermoelectric offsets and stray-field Hall contributions. A nonzero voltage alone would not prove spin accumulation.[ref]
Sweep the in-plane magnetic field approximately along the wires' easy axes. At large negative field, both magnetizations are parallel. If the wires reverse at different positive coercive fields, an antiparallel interval separates this state from the final parallel positive-field state. In the usual positive giant magnetoresistance case, the antiparallel interval has higher resistance; the reverse sweep gives a mirrored interval and a hysteresis loop.
An ideal angular model is
Spin-dependent injection and scattering favor transmission through similarly aligned electrodes. The two-current resistor model represents this using unequal majority- and minority-spin resistances. Both layers can reverse, hence pseudo spin valve, rather than an absolutely pinned reference layer.
The different thicknesses can produce different switching properties, but thickness alone does not identify which electrode reverses first. Measure their coercive fields. The local resistance also contains Cu, contact and Py anisotropic magnetoresistance contributions. Rotation scans and individual-wire controls distinguish them. Py/Cu experiments showed that local contact-related signals can exceed the spin-valve contribution, motivating nonlocal detection.[ref]
Figure 1. . Original chosen switching curves, force diagram and composite-wetting curve. Switching fields and signal heights are illustrative rather than measured. Details.
For an isolated easy-axis ferromagnet undergoing coherent reversal, the ideal low-temperature loop is approximately rectangular, switching between at . It has remanent Magnetization and a large response near switching. An ideal compensated antiferromagnet has essentially no remanence and a small, approximately reversible linear net Magnetization at fields far below its exchange/spin-flop scales. Strong antiferromagnetic exchange makes substantial canting costly, so its low-field magnetic susceptibility is small relative to the ferromagnet's unsaturated switching response.
This comparison does not say the ferromagnet has a larger differential slope at every field: on its saturated branches can also be small. Nor does it rule out spin-flop transitions at much larger fields, outside the sketched range. The original plot uses arbitrary normalized scales.
Figure 1.
Original isolated-ferromagnet and antiferromagnet responses, and a field-cooled shifted bilayer loop
. Details.
Assume NiFe is the softer layer, with , and that interlayer coupling is weak enough to permit separate reversal. Starting at large negative , both magnetizations point in the same direction and . During an increasing-field sweep:
  • At , NiFe reverses while Co does not: the state is antiparallel and the resistance rises to .
  • At , Co also reverses: the state becomes parallel and the resistance returns to .
On decreasing from positive saturation, the high-resistance window instead lies between and . Thus the two sweep directions give displaced rectangular high-resistance windows, not a single reversible resistance peak centered on zero.
Figure 1.
Pseudo spin-valve resistance loops, distributed switching and spacer dilution
. Original illustrative curves. Separate coercive fields create an antiparallel window on each sweep. The middle panel isolates switching-field broadening; its retained peak height is not a claim that real roughness leaves the GMR amplitude unchanged. Source. Details.
If Co were the softer layer, the sequence of layer labels would be exchanged. A continuous spacer and sufficiently weak coupling are additional assumptions: negligible surface roughness alone does not guarantee independent switching at every Cu thickness.