Hysteresis Evaluation of Microwave Ferrites at Audio Frequency with Large Dynamic Range

Abstract
The evaluation of ferrites and ferrimagnetic garnets for use in microwave switches and digital phasers requires, in addition to microwave examination, determination of saturation and remanent magnetization, coercive field, and a measure of squareness, including the dependence of these properies on amplitude of actuating fields, temperature, and internal and externally applied stresses. We have developed a novel method which combines the required accuracy and convenience, and by which we are able to examine, on a single specimen, both the low‐field details of hysteresis and the approach to saturation at high fields. The field is produced by a nickel—ferrite electromagnet excited at 60 or 400 Hz, generating a field at amplitudes up to 1000 Oe. The specimen may be a rod, toroid, or other shape. Flux sensing is conventional; sensing of internal field is done by a magnetic potentiometer of special design. Integration is performed by a system incorporating amplifiers which were selected for gain, bandwidth, noise, and drift characteristic adequate to yield substantially distortion‐free hysteresis loops under the stringent requirements of high‐field excitation.