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Introduction to Nanotechnology

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166 NANOSTRUCTURED FERROMAGNETISM<br />

fill it, so it is incomplete <strong>to</strong> the extent of four electrons. This incompletely filled<br />

electron d shell causes the iron a<strong>to</strong>m <strong>to</strong> have a strong magnetic moment.<br />

When crystals such as bulk iron are formed from a<strong>to</strong>ms having a net magnetic<br />

moment a number of different situations can occur relating <strong>to</strong> how the magnetic<br />

moments of the individual a<strong>to</strong>ms are aligned with respect <strong>to</strong> each other. Figure 7.1<br />

illustrates some of the possible arrangements that can occur in two dimensions. The<br />

point of the arrow is the north pole of the tiny bar magnet associated with the a<strong>to</strong>m.<br />

If the magnetic moments are randomly arranged with respect <strong>to</strong> each other, as shown<br />

in Fig. 7.la, then the crystal has a zero net magnetic moment, and this is referred <strong>to</strong><br />

as theparamagnetic state. The application of a DC magnetic field aligns some of<br />

the moments, giving the crystal a small net moment. In a ferromagnetic crystal these<br />

moments all point in the same direction, as shown in Fig. 7.lb, even when no DC<br />

magnetic field is applied, so the whole crystal has a magnetic moment and behaves<br />

like a bar magnet producing a magnetic field outside of it. If a crystal is made of two<br />

types of a<strong>to</strong>ms, each having a magnetic moment of a different strength (indicated in<br />

Fig. 7.lc by the length of the arrow) the arrangement shown in Fig. 7.lc can occur,<br />

and it is calledferrimagnetic. Such a crystal will also have a net magnetic moment,<br />

and behave like a bar magnet. In an antiferromagnet the moments are arranged in<br />

(a) PARAMAGNETIC<br />

+++<br />

+++<br />

+++<br />

(b) FERROMAGNETIC<br />

(c) FERRIMAGNETIC<br />

+<br />

-<br />

++<br />

--<br />

f-- -f--<br />

+ ++<br />

(d) ANTIFERROMAGNETIC<br />

Figure 7.1. Illustration of various arrangements of individual a<strong>to</strong>mic magnetic moments that<br />

constitute paramagnetic (a), ferromagnetic (b), ferrimagnetic (c), and antiferromagnetic (d)<br />

materials.

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