Magnetostatics

Magnetostatics: What is M(x) inside a magnetized body and what fields does
M(x) produce?

Observations:

Same
volume

Ques: What causes this? Ans: σ = M ⋅ n Magnetic pole density.

ROH, Chapter 2 1

The field around a magnetic dipole

Electric charge q -> field 1 q

E=
4πε 0εr r 2

Magnetic charge qm -> field 1 qm µ 0 qm

H= B=
4π r 2 4π r 2
A dipole µ = qml produces field
+qm -qm H1
l
1 " qm qm % 1 2µ m
H1 = $ − 2'
≈ r
4π # (r − l / 2) (r + l / 2) & 4π r 3
2

1 µm
H2 ≈
4π r 3
H2
The force acting on a second charge q2 is Eq2 or on qm2 is Hqm2
Note: in cgs units the factor of 4p is absent.
The energy of a dipole µ in a field H is -µ.B. 2

1
Magnetostatics (simple, 2-D approx) of a strip of magnetic charge

H⊥ Plane of calculation is ^ to
infinite direction of charge dist n
H//
θ r
2
r1
y This is exact in 2-D
(i.e. the charge is infinite in 3rd direction)
t x
At dist y above charged surface,
∞ at half width:

σ "M t % M
Surface charge : H⊥ = θ = # 2 tan −1 ( )& × 2 )y−>0
)) →
2π $ 2π 2y ' 2
σ =M⋅n σ r
H = ln( 2 )
2π r1
σ is monopoles/area or
dipoles/vol

=> sheet of magnetic charge σ produces field M/2 immediately above it 3

Magnetostatics: thin film with perpendicular magnetization

H⊥
Distance

N poles
M H⊥

Field

S poles

Now we have two ‘charged’ surfaces

A thin film of perpendicularly magnetized material (= plane of dipoles)

produces a field outside it which decays with distance from the surface.
It also produces an internal field: M/2 from each surface. This is the
demagnetizing field Hdemag. It is in the opposite direction compared to M. 4

2
 H⊥ Magnetostatics: examples

H//
Close to sheet of charge, such as a
θ
perpendicularly magnetized surface of Fe

y H ≈ Ms/2 ≈ 1750 kA/m x 0.5 = 875 kA/m

l x (Bs for Fe is 2.2 T)

σ M
H⊥ = θ %θ%%
=π
→ r
2π 2

Close to 1 µm radius wire , I = 1 mA

(J ≈ 106 A/cm2):
µ0 I I
B= ,   H = ≈ 60 A/m
2π R 2π R
Implications for small devices: much stronger fields from poles than current
5

Boundary Conditions on B and H

Fig.2.6

∫∫ B ⋅ dA = 0
A = area
q2
B1 ⋅ n̂ = B2 ⋅ n̂

B1 cosθ1 = B2 cosθ 2 q1

Perpendicular component of B is continuous across interface

(M1 + H1 ) ⋅ n = (M 2 + H2 )⋅ n

(H 2 − H1 ) nˆ = −(M 2 + M1 ) ⋅ nˆ

ΔH ⊥ = −ΔM

€ Perpendicular component of H is discontinuous across interface by amount that M changes

6

3
 Boundary Conditions on B and H

∫ H ⋅ dl = 
∫∫ J ⋅ dA
lH1 sin θ1 − H2 l sinθ 2 = I

Parallel component of H is
continuous across interface
(if there is no surface current),
otherwise they differ by the amount
of the surface current density.

Example of Magnetostatic Calculations

Example: A rectangular magnet with poles just on two ends (equiv. to a solenoid)
In Bertram Fig. 2.3 : Hin, Hout are due to surface charge.
(1) Assume M = Msat, no applied field
(2) Bext = µ0Hext
B
(3) Bin = µ0 [Min (→) + Hin (¬)]

Note: B. n is continuous, H|| is continuous across surface.

8
Bertram, Theory of magnetic recording, Cambridge Univ. Press 1994

4
 Demagnetizing fields and demagnetizing factors

Generally, internal field is a function of But for ellipsoids of revolution

sample shape, position inside sample. Hdemag is uniform inside.
N N S
Hin
Hont N N S
M M H
N N S
N N S

H demag = −NM N = demag. factor

(a tensor)

Hin = Hext - (1/3) M M M

EXACT for sphere
1
Ni =
3 Hin Hext
The demag field changes the shape of the M-H loop
9
(more on this later)

Non-ellipsoidal demagnetizing factors

Hin = Hext - N M H demag = −NM

For non-ellipsoidal samples, Hdemag is not uniform, N is not a constant.
Instead of calculating internal field due to surface poles,
it is often assumed that Hin is uniform and N is a const.
1
N=
2
N=0
N=1
N=0
1 N=0
N=
2
M N = 0,
1/3, 1/2, 1

1
∑N i =1 (MKS), .. = 4p (cgs)
Ni =
3
Hext
10

5
 Demagnetizing factors

The material responds to the total field it experiences, i.e. Hext+Hdemag, so the shape
affects the loop.

Fig.2.9

B - Hexternal loop is affected by sample B - Hdemag reflects intrinsic

shape. material properties
• We get different magnetic loops depending which direction we apply the field.
• There is a preferred direction for the magnetization to align: parallel to the
lowest demag factor.
Text gives Nz ( || ), Nx (^) for prolate and other spheroids
! ... #
Error in text Eq. 2.17; denominator should be 1: ln " 1 $ 11

Demagnetizing factors of ellipsoids and cylinders

(along axis)

2c
Prolate
shape:
m = c/a

2a
Oblate
2c shape:
m = a/c

12

6
 Demagnetizing factors of thin film structures

t
w >> h, t
h
w

Nw ≈ 2t/πw
Nh ≈ 2t/πh
Nt = 1 – Nh – Nw ≈ 1

Magnetic Materials 3.45/3.152 2012 13

Demagnetizing factors alter measured susceptibility

Even if N << 1,
µ0M
it has a large effect
(T)
when c is large.
a) 10 cm x 0.32 cm x 25 µm
b) 5 cm x 0.32 cm x 25 µm
c) 5 cm x 0.32 cm x 50 µm
(Clark and Wun-Fogle, 1989)

Field (in units of 80 A/m)

M = χ H i = χ (H ext − NM )
So if N =10-4,
M χ and c is 105
≡ χ effective = ceff = 0.09 c
H ext 1+ Nχ

14

7
 Review

M⋅ n ≠ 0
M H B

σ
H⊥ = θ
2π
σ r
H = ln( 2 ) M M
2π r1

Hin Hext
15

Magnetization Curves

Energy of a magnetic dipole in a field: u = -B.M = -µ0H.M

Energy of a magnetic body in its own demag field: ums

Hd increases as the material magnetizes, so total energy increases

µ 0 NM 2
ums = −µ 0 ∫H d (M )dM =µ 0 ∫ NM dM =
2
Consider an ellipsoid: in zero field M points along z.
As we apply an increasing field H along x, M rotates H θ
towards x direction. M s cosθ M
Total Energy =
M s sinθ
magnetostatic (self) energy ums = µ0NM2/2
x
plus energy of M in external field, called the Zeeman z
energy, uzeeman = -µ0H.M.
16

8
 Magnetization Curves

Calculate simple M-H curves when field works against sample shape
H =0 H θ Hd⊥ = −N ⊥ M s cos θ
energy of M in demag field M s cosθ M
ums = −µ0 M s ⋅ H d /2 Ms H d|| = −N || M s sin θ
M s sinθ
µ0 M s2 ⊥ µ M2
ums = + (N cos 2 θ + N || sin 2 θ ) = 0 s ΔN cos2 θ + Const.
2 2
€ energy of M in ext field €
uZeeman = −µ0 Ms ⋅ Hext = −µ0 MsH cos θ
€
€
µ0 Ms2 2 Fig.2.12
uTOT = ΔN cos θ − µ0 MsH cos θ
2
∂u
- = torque = −µ 0 Ms2 ΔN sinθ cosθ + µ 0 Ms H sin θ D Missing
∂θ
from text
divide by sin q as long as q ¹ 0 ( below saturation) (DN) Eq.2.27
et seq.
17

€
Magnetization Curves
€
€ Dividing zero-torque equation by sinq Þ cosθ =
Ms H
=
H
≡
H
≡h
Ms2 ΔN M sΔN Hd
But cosq is component of M
parallel to H, divided by Ms
MH
cosθ = ≡m
Ms

m=h

At saturation H = Hd Þ m = 1 Þ q = 0

We will come back to this later when we look at the magnetic behavior of small
particles. For now, though, you can take it as an effect of the shape of the particle – the
hysteresis loop is different depending which direction you apply the field.
e.g. to magnetize a film out of plane (N = 1) you need a field equal to Ms.
18

€ 9
 Magnetostatic Potential [extra notes for 3.45]

In the absence of current, ∇ × B = 0 and H can be written as

H = −∇φ m
where ϕ is a magnetic scalar potential. Then ∇ 2φ m = ∇.M
if there are no currents, and ∇ 2φ = 0
m
if there are no magnetic charges present (volume or surface). – Laplace
equation.

This can simplify some calculations, e.g. in uniformly magnetized sphere:

19

Solutions of differential magnetostatic equation

Find B, H inside, outside a uniformly magnetized sphere
(Happlied = 0) M
Inside: M is constant and uniform: M = M0ez.
Assuming Bin = B0inez then Hin = (B0in/ µ0 - M0in) ez ez

Outside: M = 0, B = 0 at ∞, so solve Poisson Eq.: ∇ 2φ m = 0

Multipole expansion in spherical coordinates vanishes at infinity:
Pl (cosθ ) 1 cosθ 3cos 2 θ −1
φ mout = Cl l +1
= C0 + C1 2 + C2 + ...
r r r 2r 3
€
 
Use H (x) = −∇ r,θ ,ϕ φ m (x)
€
And get coefficients by matching boundary conditions on Br and Hq at r = a.

€ (All the physics is in the BCs; follow the text)

This is useful in cases where you want to work with a scalar potential 20
rather than a vector field

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 Analytic solution for uniformly magnetized sphere

Matching Hq in and out, Br in and out at r = a gives:

M
2 1
Inside: B in = µ0 M 0 H in = − M 0
3 3 demagnetization factor
for sphere

Fig.2.19

€ €

B H

µ0 M 0
Outside: B out = µ0 H out =
3(r /a) 3
[2cosθ e r + sinθ eθ ]
The sphere produces a dipole field!
The potential for sphere arises from surface charge which varies as cos θ. 21
€

Summary of Magnetostatics

H x n (when J = 0) and B.n are continuous across an interface.

Discontinuities in M behave as surface magnetic charge, σ =M⋅n
Surface charge is a source of H field…
both inside and outside the material.

These magnetostatic fields alter the M-H or B-H loops in a way that
depends on sample shape, They can be calculated: M.n acts as field source:
M H H
cos θ = = ≡
Ms Ms ΔN Hd
m=h

22

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