Few subjects are more difficult

to understand than magnetism.

Encyclopedia Britannica
Presented By-
Mohammad Rameez
Nanomagnetism
Nanotechnology Plays by Different Rules
Normal scale Nanoscale
3
Description of magnetic particles
MESOSCOPIC MAGNETISM
macroscale nanoscale
permanent
magnets
micron
particles
nanoparticles clusters molecular
clusters
Individual
spins
S = 10
23
10
10
10
8
10
6
10
5
10
4
10
3
10
2
10 1
multi - domain single - domain
Single molecule

nucleation, propagation and
annihilation of domain walls
uniform rotation quantum tunneling,
quantum interference
-1
0
1
-40 -20 0 20 40
M
/
M

S


0
H(mT)
-1
0
1
-100 0 100
M
/
M

S


0
H(mT)
-1
0
1
-1 0 1
M
/
M

S


0
H(T)
Fe
8
1K
0.1K
0.7K
Mn
12
-ac
Ferritin
1 nm 10 nm 100 nm
superparamagnetism
Classical Quantum
size
Natural Nanomagnets:
Ferritin
Man on average has 3-4 g of iron 30 mg per day are exchanged in plasma. Ferritin stores iron
in mineral form; Ferritins are found in animals, vegetables, mushrooms and bacteria
The internal core, 7 nm, may contain up to 4,000 iron(III) ions Approximately FeO(OH)
Magnetism depends on the number of ions Magnetic measurements provide information on
the number of ions in the core
Magnetosomes
Nanomagnets embedded in cell membranes
Magnetotactic bacteria iron core
Magnetism in reduced dimensions
Intrinsic properties
Finite-size effects
Surface effects
Interparticle interactions
Nanomagnetism
Size, aspect ratio
distribution
Magnetism in reduced dimensions
Surface effects

lower coordination number
broken magnetic exchange bonds
frustrated magnetic interactions
surface spin disorder
reduced M in ferri-, antiferro-
systems
enhanced M in metallic ferro-
systems
Surface and core magnetic orders
spin glass?
dead magnetic layer?
bulk-like?
high-field
irreversibilities
high saturation fields
shifted hysteresis loops






8
Magnetic Moment vs. Cluster Size
Figure above from: Billas et al., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 168 (1997) 64
Suppose some particles do have magnetic
moments.
N S N S N S N S
They will chain together!

The chain causes high viscosity.

Magnetorheological effect.
Magnetorheological Effect
A magnetic fluid.
Just pretty.
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
T k
KV
B
exp
0
t t
Superparamagnetism
For a magnetic particle the magnetic energy with uniaxial anisotropy is given
by

For particles with nanometric dimensions

Superparamagnetic relaxation is the spontaneous fluctuations of the
magnetization direction such that it alternately is near =0
0
and =180
0
.
The superparamagnetic relaxation time is given by
where
0
is of the order of 10
-10
-10
-13
s, k
B
is the Boltzmanns constant and T
is the temperature.
u
2
sin KV E =
KV T k
B
>
General Hysteresis Plot
M
-M
Magnetization
Magnetization
in opposite direction
Perfect
Superparamagnet
Paramagnet, Ferromagnet &
Superparamagnet
Zero Magnetic Field Magnetic Field Applied
Paramagnet
Domain moments align
randomlyno net
moment.
Net moment appears; the
applied magnetic field helps
the domains find each other
to become coupled.
Ferromagnet
Domain moments coupled
(below Curie temp.) to
produce strong,
permanent moment.
Even higher magnetic moment.
Superparamagnet
Domain moments that
would couple as in
Ferromagnet do not do so
because of small size
boundary effect.
Domains find each other and
now it generates a moment
comparable to Ferromagnet.
Types of Magnetism
Challenges in
Nanomagnetism
100% spin-
polarized
materials
Magnetic
logic
Instant boot-up
computer
Spin-transistor
with gain
RT magnetic
semiconductors
Nano-bio
Mag-sensors
Ultra-strong
Permanent
Magnets
Ultra
High density
media
Opportunities in Nanomagnetism
SMALL PARTICLE MAGNETISM
(1 m OR LESS)

MAGNETISM OF SMALL FERROMAGNETIC PARTICLES IS DOMINATED BY
TWO KEY FEATURES:
- THERE IS SIZE UPPER LIMIT FOR SINGLE DOMAIN,
- THERMAL ENERGY CAN DECOUPLE THE MAGNETIZATION FROM
THE PARTICLE ITSELF TO GIVE RISE TO THE PHENOMENON OF
SUPERPARAMAGNETISM.
TWO CRITICAL SIZES ARISE FROM IT:
- SINGLE DOMAIN SIZE,
- SUPERPARAMAGNETIC SIZE.
SINGLE-DOMAIN PARTICLES OF SIZE D (DIAMETER)
THE ENERGY COST OF DOMAIN FORMATION EXCEEDS THE
BENEFITS FROM DECREASING THE MAGNETOSTATIC ENERGY.
THE MAGNETOSTATIC ENERGY ~ M
s
2
D
3
THE TOTAL DOMAIN WALL ENERGY ~ D
2
SINGLE DOMAIN SIZE:
D
s
~ / M
s
2

COERCIVITY OF SINGLE-DOMAIN PARTICLES

MAGNETIZATION REVERSAL IN SINGLE-DOMAIN PARTICLES OCCUR VIA
ROTATION. IT PRODUCES A LARGE COERCIVITY IN COMPARISON TO
MULTIDOMAIN SYSTEM.
MAGNETIZATION CAN ROTATE BY COHERENT MOTION OF THE ATOMIC
SPINS, BUT OTHER MOTIONS FANNING AND CURLING CAN OCCUR.
THE RESPONSE OF M
s
TO AN APPLIED FIELD IS HINDERED BY THE
ANISOTROPY (CRYSTALLINE, SHAPE, STRESS)
E
a
= K sin
2
u
THE APPLIED FIELD SUPPLIES A POTENTIAL ENERGY OF
E
f
= - M
s
H
THE EQUILIBRIUM DIRECTION OF M
s
RESULTS FROM THE MINIMUM OF THE
TOTAL ENERGY: E
TOTAL
= E
a
+ E
f
.
THE TWO CASES WE HAVE CONSIDERED REPRESENT EXTREMES OF THE
POSSIBLE HYSTERESIS CURVES, TOTALLY CLOSED (NO HYSTERESIS)
AND TOTALLY OPEN (SQUARE).
VERY OFTEN WHEN DEALING WITH NANOPARTICLES, THE EASY AXIS ARE
RANDOMLY ORIENTED. THE HYSTERESIS CURVE IS AN AVERAGE OVER
ALL ORIENTATION.
SOURCE OF THE ANISOTROPY K:
CRYSTALLINE ANISOTROPY,
SHAPE,
STRESS,
SURFACE ANISOTROPY.

SHAPE ANISOTROPY FOR NANOPARTICLES IS VERY LARGE EVEN FOR
MODEST SHAPE RATIOS, c / a.
SUPERPARAMAGNETISM

A LARGE TOTAL MOMENT IS BOUND RIGIDLY TO THE PARTICLE BELOW THE
CURIE TEMPERATURE BY ONE OR MORE OF THE VARIETY OF
ANISOTROPIES.
THE ENERGY OF THIS BOND IS KV. WITH DECREASING PARTICLE SIZE, KV
DECREASES UNTIL THE THERMAL ENERGY kT CAN DISRUPT BONDING OF
THE TOTAL MOMENT TO THE PARTICLE.
THEN THIS MOMENT IS FREE TO MOVE AND RESPOND TO AN APPLIED
FIELD INDEPENDENT OF THE PARTICLE.

p
= M
s
V
AN APPLIED FIELD WOULD TEND TO ALIGN THIS GIANT MOMENT (OR
SUPERMOMENT) BUT kT WOULD FIGHT THE ALIGNMENT JUST AS IT DOES
IN A PARAMAGNET.
THE COERCIVITY OF SMALL PARTICLES
AT LARGE SIZE, THE PARTICLES HAVE MANY DOMAINS, THUS
MAGNETIZATION REVERSAL IS DOMINATED BY DOMAIN WALL MOTION,
WHICH IS RELATIVELY EASY, HENCE THE COERCIVITY IS LOW.
HOWEVER, AS PARTICLE SIZE DECREASES, THE COERCIVITY IS FOUND
EMPIRICALLY TO FOLLOW
H
c
= a + (b / D)
UNTIL SINGLE DOMAIN IS REACHED. THE LARGEST COERCIVITIES OCCUR
AT THE SINGLE-DOMAIN SIZE. BELOW THIS, H
c
FALLS OFF DUE TO
THERMAL ACTIVATION OVER THE ANISOTROPY BARRIERS, LEADING TO
H
c
= (2K / M
s
) [1 - (D
sp
/ D)
3/2
]
AND SUPERPARAMAGNETISM AT THE SUPERPARAMAGNETIC SIZE FOR
WHICH H
c
= 0.
Nanomagnetism and Information
Technology
A. Imre et al.
Science 311, 205 (2006)
Magnetism is at the heart
of data storage.






Many novel computations
schemes are based on
manipulation of magnetic
properties.
Courtesy of Hitachi
J.R. Petta et al.
Science 309, 2180 (2005)