Monte carlo simulation of magnetization and coercivity of free magnetic clusters

Based on Monte Carlo method, the oscillatory behaviour of the average magnetic moment as a function of the cluster sizes and the temperature dependences of magnetic moment with different sizes have been studied. It is found that the oscillations superimposed on the decreasing moment are associated with not only the geometrical structure effects but also the thermal fluctuation. The hystereses and thermal coercivities for free clusters with zero and finite uniaxial anisotropies have been calculated. The simulated thermal dependence of the coercivity is consistent with the experimental result, but does not fit the T^α law in the whole temperature range. It is evident that an easy magnetization direction and an anisotropy resulting from the spin configurations exist in the free clusters with the pure exchange interaction, which is also proved by the natural angle and energy distribution of clusters. A systematic theoretical analysis is also made to establish the relationship between natural angle and coercivity.