Identifying and correcting for locally reversible magnetization processes in FORC diagrams

Magnetization processes that are locally reversible (as opposed to globally reversible processes related to para- or diamagnetism) do not only give rise to negative regions or pronounced asymmetry in a FORC diagram, but also to additional positive regions, which may mistakenly be interpreted as (irreversible) switching events. It is shown here, both theoretically and experimentally, how locally reversible magnetization mechanisms can be identified in a FORC diagram and properly corrected for by means of second-order-reversal curves (SORCs).