Magnetic free energy at elevated temperatures and hysteresis of magnetic particles

We derive a free energy for weakly anisotropic ferromagnets which is valid in the whole range of temperature and interpolates between the micromagnetic energy at zero temperature and the Landau free energy near the Curie point Tc. This free energy takes into account the change of the magnetization length due to thermal effects, in particular, in the inhomogeneous states. As an illustration, we study the thermal effect on the Stoner–Wohlfarth curve and hysteresis loop of a ferromagnetic nanoparticle assuming that it is in a single-domain state. Within this model, the saddle point of the particleʹs free energy, as well as the metastability boundary, are due to the change in the magnetization length sufficiently close to Tc, as opposed to the usual homogeneous rotation process at lower temperatures.