Principles of Nanomagnetism

The book deals with the novel field of Nanomagnetism, the study of magnetic samples that have at least one dimension in the nanoscopic range. Nanomagnetism has helped to shape the modern world through the contribution of this discipline to the rapid evolution of high- density magnetic recording. This process has made the hard-disk-equipped personal computer a part of our lives. The approach of this succinct book is to emphasize general principles and mechanisms that are relevant for the understanding of the intriguing properties of nanomagnetic objects, including thin films, nanoparticles, nanowires, nanodisks and nanorings.

Autorentext

Alberto P. Guimarães obtained his PhD from the University of Manchester, UK and is currently professor of Physics at the Brazilian Center for Physical Research (CBPF) in Rio de Janeiro.

Zusammenfassung
The ?eld of Nanomagnetism is a young branch of the study of magnetic phenomena, phenomena that have been a source of amazement and stimulus for speculation for more than 3,000 years [1]. Nanomagnetism, despite being a young area, has already affected every sphere of human activity, through its fundamental contribution to make the computer an ubiquitous instrument for communication, control of industrial processes, medical diagnosis, scienti?c investigation, or leisure. The studies of particulate and thin ?lm magnetic media and other related questions led to improvements that have mul- plied, in ?ve decades, the amount of data that can be encoded into a unitary area by some 50 million times. The 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics, awarded to Albert Fert and Peter Grünberg, is an important recognition of the extraordinary achievements of the research in Na- magnetism. The unfolding revolution brought about by Spintronics is intimately c- nected, and enhances the relevance of these developments. Nanomagnetism already encompasses a very wide range of remarkable pr- erties and phenomena, as illustrated in the case of thin ?lms, for example, by the volumes of the series on Ultrathin Magnetic Structures [2].

Inhalt
The Basis of Nanomagnetism.- Magnetic Domains.- Magnetism of Small Particles.- Magnetism of Thin Films and Multilayers.- to Magnetotransport.- Magnetism of Nanodisks, Nanorings, and Nanowires.- Magnetic Recording.