The Stoner–Wohlfarth model of ferromagnetism

Abstract

The Stoner–Wohlfarth (SW) model is the simplest model that describes adequately the physics of fine magnetic grains, the magnetization of which can be used in digital magnetic storage (floppies, hard disks and tapes). Magnetic storage density is presently increasing steadily in almost the same way as electronic device size and circuitry are shrinking, and magnetism in general appears as a new contender for many novel computing applications that were considered traditionally beyond its range. Denser storage leads to finer magnetic grains and smaller size leads to magnetic grains so fine that they contain a single magnetic domain, i.e. a region in the material with a well-defined uniform magnetization best described with the mathematics of the SW model.