Advanced Magnetic Materials

Elective lecture, 15 h.

Lecturer: Professor Marcin Leonowicz

Textbooks :

1. P. Campbell, Permanent magnet materials and their applications, Cambridge, University

Press, 1996.
2. R.C. OHandley, Modern magnetic materials, principles and applications, John Wiley and
Sons, New York 2000.

Description :

The course is oriented towards teaching the students advanced materials engineering using as an
example the magnetic materials. The course comprises: Introduction to basic magnetic quantities and
units. Origin of magnetism and classification of magnetic materials. Bulk magnetism and magnetism of
small particles and nanostructures. Types of hard and soft magnetic materials, their structure,
processing methods and properties. Principle applications of magnetic materials.

Course Topics :

1. Basic definitions and units (electricity and magnetism, magnetic flux, induction, susceptibility,
permeability, classification of magnetic materials on a basis of magnetic hysteresis.
2. Ferromagnetism (magnetic moment of atom, exchange forces, exchange energy, temperature
dependence of magnetisation, magnetic anisotropy, demagnetising field, magnetostatic energy).
3. Domain structure (domain wall width, interaction of domain wall with inclusions, effect of magnetic
field on domain structure).
4. Soft magnetic materials (hysteresis and eddy currents losses, overview of soft magnetic materials
and their applications).
5. Overview of hard magnetic materials and their applications.
6. Nanocrystalline and nanocomposite magnetic materials (effect of nanostructure on the magnetic
properties, effect of enhanced magnetic exchange interactions).
7. Recording materials (magnetic tapes, magnetic discs, thin films, cylindrical domains, recording
density).
8. Application of magnetic materials (magnetomechanical applications, electric motors and
generators, ondulators and wigglers, medical applications).

Course Objectives:

1) To teach students the basic definitions of physics of solid state related to magnetism.
2) To teach students the basic classes of hard and soft magnetic materials.
3) To present students the basics of nanomagnetism with respect to bulk magnetism.
4) To teach students the methods of the processing of magnetic materials.
5) To provide students with knowledge of applications of magnetic materials and their selections for
particular applications.
6) To provide some training in (written and oral) communication of scientific and engineering ideas.

Course Outcomes:

1) Students should be able to understand physical phenomena related to magnetism and to

understand basic magnetic quantities and know their units.
2) Students should know the available soft and hard magnetic materials and be able to choose a
proper material for a particular application.
3) Students should be able to calculate a permanent magnet based magnetic circuit which provides
the given magnetic field in the gap.
4) Students should know how are built and how function typical devices equipped with magnetic
materials.
5) Students should understand the correlations between structure and microstructure of materials and
their magnetic properties.
6) Students should be able to apply in practice appropriate processing methods to produce hard or
soft magnetic materials with desired properties.

Assessment Tools:

1) Preparation of a power point presentation on a given topic, related to magnetism.

2) Final written test.