Magnetic bistability in as-cast non-magnetostrictive amorphous wire

Nearly zero-magnetostrictive amorphous wires do not present in the as-cast state the striking bistable magnetization process typical of high-magnetostrictive wires. Such a difference can be interpreted as a consequence of the low strength in the intrinsic magnetoelastic anisotropy. However, if such an anisotropy is reinforced the magnetic behavior can be significantly changed. Here, the authors report the achievement of magnetic bistability in the as-cast state in a nearly zero magnetostrictive amorphous wire. The results show that a decrease of the measuring temperature below 250 K or the introduction of an additional magnetoelastic anisotropy, by means of the simultaneous application of tensile and torsional stresses, causes the appearance of a well-defined single Barkhausen jump in the magnetization process.