Point Curie

The Curie Point, or Curie Temperature, is the critical temperature at which a ferromagnetic material loses its permanent magnetic properties and transitions to a paramagnetic state due to thermal agitation overcoming magnetic domain alignment.

Named after physicist Pierre Curie, this temperature varies by element—iron (Fe) has a Curie Point of about 770 °C, nickel (Ni) about 358 °C, and cobalt (Co) around 1,115 °C.

Below the Curie Point, atomic magnetic moments within crystalline domains are aligned by exchange interactions, creating spontaneous magnetization; above it, thermal energy disrupts this order, leaving only weak, field-dependent magnetism.

The transition is reversible—cooling the metal below its Curie Point restores ferromagnetism—and it plays a critical role in applications such as magnetic data storage, electric motor design, and paleomagnetism, where remanent magnetization in minerals records Earth’s ancient magnetic field.

In alloys and ferrites, engineers can precisely tune the Curie temperature through compositional changes, enabling temperature-sensitive magnetic switches and sensors.