Energy considerations in a micromagnetic hysteresis model and the Preisach model

Finding the relations between the microstructural material parameters and the macroscopic hysteresis behavior is indispensable in the design of ferromagnetic materials with minimal (hysteresis) losses. Micromagnetic hysteresis simulations enable a rigorous and structured investigation of these relations since in the numerical model each material parameter can be altered independently. This paper describes a procedure to extract the Preisach distribution function, quantifying the macroscopic hysteresis properties, from micromagnetic simulations incorporating the materials’ microstructure. Furthermore, the instantaneously added, stored and dissipated energy while running through the hysteresis loop as described in the macroscopic Preisach model and in the micromagnetic hysteresis model are compared, evidencing a very good agreement. Moreover, using the micromagnetic model, the energy rearrangements between the different micromagnetic interaction terms is studied at each time point of the hysteresis loop. It is concluded that the micromagnetic hysteresis model is a valuable tool in the study of hysteresis properties and loss mechanisms in ferromagnetic materials.