Ferromagnetic filament shapes in a rotating field reveal their magnetoelastic properties

Flexible ferromagnetic filaments can be used to control the flow on the micro-scale with external magnetic field. To accurately model them, it is crucial to know their parameters such as their magnetization and bending modulus, the latter of which is hard to determine precisely. We present a method how the ferromagnetic filament’s shape in a rotating field can be used to determine the magnetoelastic number Cm — the ratio of magnetic to elastic forces. Then once the magnetization of the filament is known, it is possible to determine its bending modulus. The main idea of the method is that Cm is the only parameter that determines whether the filament is straight or whether its tips are bent towards the magnetic field direction. Comparing with numerical solutions, we show that the method results in an error of 15...20% for the determined Cm, what is more precise than estimations from other methods. This method will allow to improve the comparability between theoretical filament models and experimental measurements. •Shape of a ferromagnetic filament in a rotating field reveals its properties.•Mason number is encoded by the tip positions relative to the magnetic field.•Magnetoelastic number is encoded by the shape connecting the tips.•Method allows to calculate bending modulus more precisely.