Magnetic Anisotropy: Measurements with a Vector Vibrating Sample Magnetometer

Introduction Anisotropy is a basic property of magnetic materials. The magnetization tends to lie in certain preferred directions, and the energy of the ferromagnet includes an anisotropy term Ea(θ,φ) where the angular coordinates θ,φ define the direction of magnetization. The anisotropy can be intrinsic, related to atomic scale interactions which define easy directions in the crystal (magnetocrystalline anisotropy), or it can be related to the energy of the sample in its own demagnetizing field (shape anisotropy). Magnetic anisotropy is a very important parameter in connection with the characterization of materials utilized in technical applications, particularly magnetic recording media.