Barkhausen noise hysteresis cycle: Theoretical and experimental understanding

Magnetic Barkhausen Noise (MBN) reflects magnetic domains' motions during a ferromagnetic part's magneti-zation process. For industrial specimens, the raw MBN signal is stochastic and not reproducible, leading to complex analyses. This issue is solved using time-average variables like the Magnetic Barkhausen Noise energy (MBNenergy).Plotting MBNenergy as a function of the magnetic excitation gives rise to a hysteresis cycle. Recent studies have highlighted some exciting properties from this cycle, such as a way to observe the magnetic loss contribution associated with the domain wall motions. Still, questions remain, including in the basic description of MBNenergy.This paper describes a theoretical development to understand MBNenergy further. We demonstrate that in standard characterization conditions, the magnetization variations associated with the domain wall motions are proportional to the square of the envelope of the MBN signal instead of its absolute value.Then, this theoretical conclusion is confirmed experimentally. Finally, the absence of privileged orientation and direction in the MBN effect is verified in the case of unidirectional magnetization.