Magnetization measurements by

vibrating sample
BANSAL Shivansh
ARATA
ALOU

December 6, 2023

Date Performed: November 22, 2023

Instructor: Professor Devillers

Universite Grenoble Alpes

1 Introduction
A vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) operates on Faraday’s Law
of Induction, which tells us that changing the magnetic field will pro-
duce an electric field. This electric field can be measured and can
tell us information about the changing magnetic field. A VSM is used
to measure the magnetic behavior of the magnetic materials. A VSM
operates by first placing the sample to be studied in a constant mag-
netic field. If the sample is magnetic, this constant magnetic field will
magnetize the sample by aligning the magnetic domains, or the indi-
vidual magnetic spins, with the field. The stronger the constant field,
the larger the magnetization will be. The magnetic dipole moment
of the sample will create a magnetic field around the sample, some-
times called the magnetic stray field. As the sample is moved up and
down, this magnetic stray field changes as a function of time and can
be sensed by a set of pick-up coils.
The alternating magnetic field will cause an electric field in the pick-
up coils according to Faraday’s Law of Induction. This current will

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 Figure 1: A schematic of Vibrating sample magnetometer

be proportional to the magnetization of the sample. The greater the

magnetization, the greater the induced current. The induction cur-
rent is amplified by a trans-impedance amplifier and lock-in ampli-
fier. The various components are hooked up to a computer inter-
face. Using controlling and monitoring software, the system can tell
you how much the sample is magnetized and how its magnetization
depends on the strength of the constant magnetic field. Figure 1
shows the schematic of VSM with all the parts of the setup. The sam-
ple, of magnetic moment 𝑚 ® , follows a vertical sinusoidal movement
𝑧 ( 𝑡 ) = 𝑧0 𝑐𝑜𝑠 ( 𝜔𝑡 ) , thus creating a variation of additive flux in the pick-
up coils. The latter are fixed poles of an electromagnet providing field
strength of up to 0.7T.

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2 VSM
2.1 Theoretical part
We consider a uniform magnetic field 𝐵® passing through a surface 𝑆®,
the magnetic flux through the surface can be defined as

Φ = 𝐵® · 𝑆® (1)

From Amperian law if a uniform current is flowing through an arbi-

trary shape then the resulting magnetic field can be calculated as
∮
® = 𝜇0 𝐼 𝑓
𝐵® · 𝑑𝑙 (2)
𝑙

𝐵® · 𝑔 (®𝑧 ) = 𝜇 0 𝐼 𝑓 (3)
𝜇0
𝐵® = · 𝐼𝑓 (4)
𝑔 (®𝑧 )
where 𝑔 ( 𝑧 ) is the geometric constant of the arbitrary shape. Combin-
ing equation (1) and (4).
𝜇0
Φ= · 𝐼 𝑓 · 𝑆® (5)
𝑔 (®𝑧 )

We know,
® = ®𝐼 · 𝑆®
𝑚 (6)
using the relation and substituting in equation (5).

=⇒ Φ = 𝑔 (®𝑧) · 𝑚
® (7)

Faraday’s law of induction states that there is induced emf 𝜖 in a coil

if there is a change of magnetic flux with respect to time.

𝑑Φ 𝐵
𝑒 (𝑡) = − (8)
𝑑𝑡
Applying Faraday’s law of induction to equation (7),

𝑑 ( 𝑔 (®𝑧 ) · 𝑚
®)
𝑒 (𝑡) = − (9)
𝑑𝑡

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As given the sample of magnetic moment 𝑚 ® , follows a vertical sinu-
soidal movement as 𝑧 ( 𝑡 ) = 𝑧𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑠 ( 𝜔𝑡 ) .

𝑑 𝑔 (®𝑧 ) 𝑑𝑧
𝑒 (𝑡) = − · ®
·𝑚 (10)
𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝑡
𝑧 = 𝑧𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜔𝑡 (11)
𝑑𝑧
= −𝜔𝑧𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡 (12)
𝑑𝑡
𝑑 𝑔 (®𝑧 )
𝑒 (𝑡) = ®
· 𝜔𝑧𝑜 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡 · 𝑚 (13)
𝑑𝑧

2.2 Practical part

NB:During this practical we had a problem with the sample which
can’t be fixed due to a material problem. That results in some problem
during the recording of the magnetisation in the hard axis, due to the
flipping of the sample in toward the easy axis,
According to the equation (13) in the above section, the measured
voltage is directly proportional to the magnetic moment ( 𝑚 ® ).

®
𝑒 (𝑡) ∝ 𝑚 (14)

® ) is the local property of the sample which is related

Magnetization ( 𝑀
to magnetic moment (𝑚 ® ) as the below equation:

® = ®
𝑑𝑚
𝑀 (15)
𝑑𝑉

® ∝𝑚
𝑀 ® (16)
®
=⇒ 𝑒 ( 𝑡 ) ∝ 𝑀 (17)
The polarities or winding directions of the four pick-up coils should
be along the direction of the current in order to induce a field in the
sample.

The calibration of the electromagnet was done using a Hall probe

gaussmeter by using the following relation 𝜇 𝑜 𝐻 = f(I). Figure 2 shows
the calibrated relation of the electromagnet. The graph is not linear as

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at higher current value this can be understood as saturation of mag-
netization in the material, hysteresis of the magnetization or eddy
currents in the core material. If the direction of current is revered the
induced magnetic field in the electromagnet will reverse it’s direction.
Analytically will see a negative value of 𝜇 𝑜 𝐻 .

Figure 2: Calibration graph of the electromagnet, the black line is the

experimentally measured data point and the red line is the linear fit
of the data set.

The approximated polynomial, 𝜇 𝑜 𝐻 ( 𝐼 ) with order 3 is: 𝑦 = −5.1004 𝑥 3 +

7.6639 𝑥 2 + 227.02 𝑥 + 7.5455

2.2.1 Calibration of Magnetometer

For the calibration of the magnetometer, a nickel cylinder with a di-
mension (length 9.5 mm, diameter 2.8 mm) was used. We know the
spontaneous magnetization of Ni is 𝑀𝑠 = 4.85 ∗ 105 𝐴/𝑚, with lock-in
parameters (frequency 37Hz, amplitude 0.12V).
Magnetization curves of Ni are presented in Figures (3) and (4), with
figure (3) is the magnetization measurement along the easy axis the
graph is further smoothed and figure (4) is the magnetization mea-
surement along the hard axis.

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 Figure 3: Measure of the Magnetisation along the easy Axis

Figure 4: Measure of the Magnetisation along the hard Axis

We know that calibration constant k is:

𝑒
𝑘= (18)
𝑚
𝑒𝑠 𝑒𝑠 𝑒𝑠
so, k= 𝑀𝑠 .𝑉 = 4.85.105 .𝜋𝑟2 ℎ = 0.028

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𝑒𝑠 , corresponds to the point where saturation is occurring. We can
graphically observe it at the point where the curve becomes a hori-
zontal asymptote. This value, determined graphically, comes with an
uncertainty associated with visual determination. Since we do not
have the uncertainties related to the equipment measurements, we
can visually estimate the uncertainty to be around 0.002 .

0.0255.10 − 3
𝑘ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑 = 0.028 = ( 9.1 ± 0.07) · 10−4 𝑉.𝐴−1 .𝑚−2

0.0288.10 − 3
𝑘𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑦 = 0.028 = ( 10.2 ± 0.08) · 10−4 𝑉.𝐴−1 .𝑚−2

The variations in the k values for the parallel and perpendicular curves
arise due to the material’s inherent anisotropy, causing distinct mag-
netic responses for different orientations of the applied field. Along
the easy axis, a lot of particles can be polarized. Conversely, along
the hard axis the number of particles that achieve polarization is re-
stricted which explainx the difference in the saturation points.

2.2.2 Demagnetizing coefficient

We use the relationship between the slope of the linear fit and the
demagnetizing coefficient. Assuming 𝑀 = 𝑁𝐻𝐷0 the slope of a linear fit
can be 𝑁1𝐷 .

We fit the magnetization curves and focus on the linear part. We de-
termine the slope of this linear part, which corresponds to 𝑁1𝐷 . We use
this information to calculate 𝑁 𝐷 by taking the reciprocal of the slope.

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𝑁𝐷 = (19)
𝑆𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑜 𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑓 𝑖𝑡
In this part we record the complete cycle 𝑀 ( 𝐻0 ) . Then we use the
relation,
𝐻 = 𝐻𝑜 + 𝐻 𝐷 = 𝐻𝑜 − 𝑁 𝐷 · 𝑀 (20)

From the calibration graph we have:

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B[mT]=−5.1004 𝐼 3 + 7.6639 𝐼 2 + 227.02 𝐼 + 7.5455 𝐼 ( 𝐴)

10 − 3
𝐻0 [ 𝐴/𝑚] = 4𝜋.10 − 7
(−5.1004 𝐼 3 + 7.6639 𝐼 2 + 227.02 𝐼 + 7.5455) 𝐼 ( 𝐴)

2.2.3 Ni Results

Figure 5: 𝑀 ( 𝐻0 ) for Ni in hard axis

Figure 6: M(H) for Ni in hard axis

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 Figure 7: 𝑀 ( 𝐻0 ) for Ni in easy axis

Figure 8: M(H) for Ni in easy axis

2.2.4 Fe Results
Figure (9), (10) and (11) shows the induced emf in the sample, change
in magnetization with the applied field and change in magnetization
considering total magnetic

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Figure 9: Measurement of induced emf and current along easy axis
for Fe sample

Figure 10: 𝑀 ( 𝐻0 ) for Fe in easy axis

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 Figure 11: M(H) for Fe along easy axis

2.2.5 AlNiCo Results

Figure 12: e(I) for AlNiCo along easy axis

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Figure 13: e(I) for AlNiCo along hard axis

Figure 14: 𝑀 ( 𝐻0 ) for AlNiCo in easy axis

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Figure 15: 𝑀 ( 𝐻0 ) for AlNiCo in hard axis

Figure 16: M(H) for AlNiCo in easy axis

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 Figure 17: M(H) for AlNiCo in hard axis

2.3 Calculation of demagnetizing field

Sample Name Nd (Hard Axis) Nd (Easy Axis)

Ni 0.827 0.273
Fe 0.667 0.05129
AlNiCo 0.294 0.145

Table 1: Demagnetizing factor of different samples

This results can be interpreted like this N i is the hardest material and
Fe is softest material as it has lowest coercive field and.

2.4 Conclusion
In conclusion, the practical session involving the use of a Vibrating
Sample Magnetometer (VSM) was an insightful exploration into the
magnetic behavior of various materials. Despite encountering issues
with the sample, hindering measurements in the hard axis due to
material constraints, the experiment provided valuable insights into
magnetization along the easy axis. The calibration of the electromag-
net using a Hall probe gaussmeter showcased non-linear behavior at

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higher current values, attributed to factors like material saturation,
hysteresis, or eddy currents.
The measured induced emf, along with the change in magnetization
concerning the applied field, elucidated distinct magnetic responses in
materials like Nickel (Ni), Iron (Fe), and AlNiCo. The demagnetizing
coefficients calculated for each material highlighted varying inherent
anisotropies, influencing their magnetic properties differently along
the hard and easy axes.
Furthermore, the demagnetizing field analysis, as reflected in Table
1, reveals differing demagnetizing factors among the samples, indi-
cating Ni’s hardness compared to Fe’s softness, substantiated by their
respective coercive fields.
In essence, despite challenges encountered during the experimen-
tal process, the practical session offered valuable insights into ma-
terial magnetization behavior along distinct axes, shedding light on
the unique magnetic properties and behaviors of the materials under
study.
This conclusion summarizes the experiment’s key findings and in-
sights into the materials’ magnetic behaviors, encompassing the chal-
lenges faced and the valuable information garnered from the practical
session.

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