Magnetomechanical effect in nickel and cobalt

The change in magnetization as a result of applied uniaxial stress has been measured in nickel and cobalt. Both tensile and compressive stresses were applied up to 125 MPa. Magnetostriction and anhysteretic magnetization as a function of stress were also measured. The change in magnetization with stress depended on the applied stress and the displacement between the prevailing magnetization and anhysteretic. At the loop tips, nickel showed a +6 mT (compression) and -6 mT (tension) magnetization change while cobalt displayed a +15 mT (compression) and -15 mT (tension) magnetization change. At remanence, nickel decreased in magnetization by 45 mT under either sign of stress, while cobalt decreased by 20 mT also under either sign of stress. Magnetomechanical changes in magnetization near the loop tips were mostly reversible, while at remanence the magnetomechanical change was predominately irreversible. Cobalt generally displayed larger changes in magnetization with stress than nickel at locations close to the loop tips, while the converse was true at locations near remanence. The results confirm the hypothesis that the magnetomechanical effect (dM/d sigma) depends on the displacement between the anhysteretic and prevailing magnetization. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.