MAGNETIZATION REVERSAL MODES IN INHOMOGENEOUS MAGNETS

The macroscopic magnetic properties of magnets strongly depend on the microscopic magnetisation processes and the microstructure of the magn ets. Whereas ideally homogeneous magnetic materials exhibit a relative ly simple and well understood magnetisation behaviour, more complex ma terials such as two phase composites or just real technical materials with impurities and inhomogeneities exhibit a far more complex magneti sation behaviour. This paper introduces an investigation of the magnet isation reversal for a simple analytical model of an inhomogeneous mag netic material. Different remagnetisation modes are found, depending o n the size of the inhomogeneity and its material parameters. The resul ts of this investigation can be applied to the interpretation of the m agnetic properties of both, exchange coupled nanocrystaline composites and inhomogeneous single-phase magnets.