An in-plane magnetic field lowers the Zeeman energy when moments align with it. It competes with antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling; the layers generally cant or switch toward a parallel configuration and ultimately saturate if the field overcomes coupling and magnetic anisotropy. The high-resistance antiparallel state evolves toward the lower-resistance parallel state. The switching path and field scale depend on anisotropy, pinning and coupling strength, which are not numerically specified.
Past exam of the physics B course of the University of Cambridge 2011 Paper 1 Section B B7 Solution 2026-10-20
The microscopic magnetic response becomes a macroscopic field problem through the magnetization , the magnetic dipole moment per unit volume. Definein magnetostatics. Bound currents are represented by and surface current . Normal is continuous across an interface, while . It is generally incorrect to impose continuity of every component of both fields. A linear isotropic material has and , but a ferromagnet usually requires a nonlinear, history-dependent constitutive relation.
Internal field differs from externally applied field. For uniform magnetization along a principal axis of an ellipsoid, the demagnetizing field is and . A linear specimen therefore has apparent susceptibility relative to the applied field. Shape is especially important for large susceptibility. A long closed magnetic circuit reduces stray fields; a bar magnet still has demagnetizing fields despite the absence of magnetic monopoles. Equivalent magnetic-pole descriptions are bookkeeping for magnetization divergence, not free magnetic charge.[ref]
Permanent Ferromagnets. Equations (699)–(706): magnetization, scalar potential and effective pole density
In paramagnetism, permanent localized moments are preferentially aligned by the field, against thermal disorder. For independent spin-one-half moments with projections , the two Zeeman energies givein the dilute weak-field limit with . This is a Curie law; the response saturates at when alignment dominates. More generally, spin gives . Interactions can produce a Curie–Weiss response over a suitable range. Conduction-electron Pauli paramagnetism need not show the localized-moment law.
In diamagnetism, the field induces a magnetic moment opposing it, so the linear susceptibility is negative. The microscopic cause is the change in orbital electronic motion, and a closed-shell insulating material has no permanent atomic moment to orient. This weak response is often only mildly temperature dependent away from other transitions. It also exists as a background in materials with a stronger positive response. Perfect flux expulsion in a superconductor is a distinct collective phenomenon and should not be identified with ordinary weak atomic diamagnetism.
In ferromagnetism, exchange interactions stabilize spontaneous magnetic order below the Curie temperature. A specimen can have zero net moment while its magnetic domains remain locally magnetized in different directions. Domain-wall motion and moment rotation produce a large response; anisotropy and pinning lead to remanence, coercivity and hysteresis. Increasing field eventually approaches saturation. Heating above the ordering transition removes spontaneous order, although an applied field still induces a response. Soft magnetic cores favor easy reversal and small cyclic loss; hard permanent-magnet materials favor retained magnetization and resistance to reversal. These properties concern collective order and barriers, not merely independent moments all following a weak field.[ref]
University Physics Volume 2 by Samuel J. Ling and others. §12.7, Magnetism in Matter: susceptibility, magnetic domains, Curie temperature and hysteresis
A practical distinction requires a controlled field sweep and a separate magnetic readout. A toroidal core with drive winding , path length and current has approximately . A pickup winding measures ; integrating after calibration gives , and . Reversing the sweep reveals a loop whose positive loss area per volume is . An air-core/empty-holder reference, known geometry and turn count, offset correction, temperature control and slower sweeps test background, heating and rate-dependent eddy-current losses. A single force or susceptibility reading cannot establish spontaneous order or hysteresis. The original curves below are illustrative responses, not measured material data.
Magnetic response and hysteresis
. Details. In the paper's convention is measured in units of , and is dimensionless. For , the magnetic moment and its Zeeman energy areIf instead denotes dimensional angular momentum, its coefficient must contain . This resolves the units of the printed moment formula.
