Rotational magnetic properties of spin glasses and type-II superconductors

Abstract

Rotational magnetization-vector measurements disclose that the field-induced anisotropy of spin glasses and the field-induced vortex flux of type-II superconductors undergo frictional directional changes that are closely analogous macroscopically. Moreover, in each case, the detailed nature of the directional changes reveals a sizeable distribution in the strength of the frictional torques exerted by the sample material, whose magnetic states are thus seen to be spatially inhomogeneous.