Anisotropic energy is energy that is directionally specific. The word
anisotropy
Anisotropy () is the structural property of non-uniformity in different directions, as opposed to isotropy. An anisotropic object or pattern has properties that differ according to direction of measurement. For example, many materials exhibit ve ...
means "directionally dependent", hence the definition. The most common form of anisotropic energy is
magnetocrystalline anisotropy
In physics, a ferromagnetic material is said to have magnetocrystalline anisotropy if it takes more energy to magnetization, magnetize it in certain directions than in others. These directions are usually related to the crystal structure, principa ...
, which is commonly studied in
ferromagnets
Ferromagnetism is a property of certain materials (such as iron) that results in a significant, observable magnetic permeability, and in many cases, a significant magnetic coercivity, allowing the material to form a permanent magnet. Ferromagne ...
.
In ferromagnets, there are islands or domains of atoms that are all coordinated in a certain direction; this spontaneous positioning is often called the "easy" direction, indicating that this is the lowest energy state for these atoms. In order to study magnetocrystalline anisotropy, energy (usually in the form of an
electric current
An electric current is a flow of charged particles, such as electrons or ions, moving through an electrical conductor or space. It is defined as the net rate of flow of electric charge through a surface. The moving particles are called charge c ...
) is applied to the domain, which causes the crystals to deflect from the "easy" to "hard" positions. The energy required to do this is defined as the anisotropic energy. The easy and hard alignments and their relative energies are due to the interaction between spin magnetic moment of each atom and the
crystal lattice
In crystallography, crystal structure is a description of ordered arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystal, crystalline material. Ordered structures occur from intrinsic nature of constituent particles to form symmetric patterns that ...
of the compound being studied.
See also
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Magnetic anisotropy
In condensed matter physics, magnetic anisotropy describes how an object's magnetic properties can be anisotropy, different depending on direction. In the simplest case, there is no preferential direction for an object's magnetic moment. It will ...
References
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Energy (physics)
Asymmetry
Orientation (geometry)
Magnetic ordering