Correlation between the Barkhausen noise power and the total power losses in 3% Si–Fe

We present results on Barkhausen noise power in grain oriented 3% Si–Fe samples of different quality (power losses). Barkhausen noise is measured at constant values of the magnetic field applied in the rolling direction of the sheet. The measurements indicate a strong correlation between the Barkhausen noise power and total power losses. A model is proposed to interpret the results according to which the Barkhausen noise power is related to the density of pinning centers per unit coercive field, an intrinsic parameter of the material. It is shown that this parameter characterizes the ability of the external field to increase the number of moving walls. The model and the experiment demonstrate that the power losses in grain oriented 3% Si–Fe are improved either by dynamic homogenization of magnetization, or by decreasing the domain wall spacing in static conditions.