Measurement and modeling of magnetic hysteresis under field and stress application in iron-gallium alloys

► We conduct coupled experiments and develop nonlinear thermodynamic models for magnetostrictive iron-gallium (Galfenol) alloys. ► The measurements show unexpected kinematic reversibility in the magnetomechanical coupling. ► This is in contrast with the magnetomechanical coupling in steel which is both thermodynamically and kinematically irreversible. ► The model accurately describes the measurements and provides a framework for understanding hysteresis in ferromagnetic materials which exhibit kinematically reversible magnetomechanical coupling.