Determining the easy and hard axes of magnetization of a material using the Stoner-Wohlfarth Model

by William Horn

Submitted : Fall 2017

Magnetization is one of the most perplexing phenomena in our universe. Observers and students often question the physics behind magnets, and in this project the Stoner-Wohlfarth Model will be applied in order to introduce the concepts of magnetization to readers. The equations involved will be generalized to be applied to any material, and then permalloy will be considered in order to generate hysteresis loops with the model. The hysteresis loops of the permalloy will then be observed to determine the direction and orientation of the easy and hard axes of magnetization.

            Observation concludes that the hard axis aligns with the direction that requires the most force from the external field in order to reach saturation magnetization in the material, and the easy axis is directly perpendicular to the hard axis.

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