Many advances in magnetic materials have resulted from the ability to structure materials on an appropriate magnetic length strip. This is typically the exchange length or the domain wall width of a hard phase, but in either case the characteristic length scale is a few nanometers. As the dimensions of the grains in a magnetic nanostructure approach this limit, the magnetic properties become significantly different from those in bulk. More specifically, nanostructured materials significantly extend the range of available magnetic properties. A variety of materials processing issues centers on the need to control nucleation and crystal growth on a very small length scale. Additional issues focus on the nature of the grain boundaries and the exchange coupling across them. This book provides a comprehensive overview of developments in the field. Topics include: permanent magnet processing; intrinsic properties of permanent magnetic materials; nanoscale hard magnetism; permanent magnet applications; microstructure and micromagnetics; thin-film permanent magnets; fine-particle magnets; nanocrystalline antiferro- and ferrimagnets; ultrasoft nanocrystalline and amorphous materials and nanocrystalline magnetic thin films.

The MRS Symposium Proceeding series is an internationally recognised reference suitable for researchers and practitioners.

Advances in Magnetic Materials: Processing, Properties, and Performance discusses recent developments of magnetic materials, including fabrication, characterization and applications in the aerospace, biomedical, and semiconductors industries. With contributions by international professionals who possess broad and varied expertise, this volume encompasses both bulk materials and thin films and coatings for magnetic applications. A timely reference book that describes such things as ferromagnetism, nanomaterials, and Fe, ZnO, and Co-based materials, Advances in Magnetic Materials is an ideal text for students, researchers, and professionals working in materials science. Describes recent developments of magnetic materials, including fabrication, characterization, and applications Addresses a variety of industrial applications, such as aerospace, biomedical, and semiconductors Discusses bulk materials and thin films and coatings Covers ferromagnetism, nanomaterials, Fe, ZnO, and Co-based materials Contains the contributions of international professionals with broad and varied expertise Covers a holistic range of magnetic materials in various aspects of process, properties, and performance

In December 2002, the world's first commercial magnetic levitation super-train went into operation in Shanghai. The train is held just above the rails by magnetic levitation (maglev) and can travel at a speed of 400 km/hr, completing the 30km journey from the city to the airport in minutes. Now consumers are enjoying 50 GB hard drives compared to 0.5 GB hard drives ten years ago. Achievements in magnetic materials research have made dreams of a few decades ago reality. The objective of the four volume reference, Handbook of Advanced Magnetic Materials, is to provide a comprehensive review of recent progress in magnetic materials research. Each chapter will have an introduction to give a clear definition of basic and important concepts of the topic. The details of the topic are then elucidated theoretically and experimentally. New ideas for further advancement are then discussed. Sufficient references are also included for those who wish to read the original work. In the last decade, one of the most significant thrust areas of materials research has been nanostructured magnetic materials. There are several critical sizes that control the behavior of a magnetic material, and size effects become especially critical when dimensions approach a few nanometers, where quantum phenomena appear. The first volume of the book, Nanostructured Advanced Magnetic Materials, has therefore been devoted to the recent development of nanostructured magnetic materials, emphasizing size effects. Our understanding of magnetism has advanced with the establishment of the theory of atomic magnetic moments and itinerant magnetism. Simulation is a powerful tool for exploration and explanation of properties of various magnetic materials. Simulation also provides insight for further development of new materials. Naturally, before any simulation can be started, a model must be constructed. This requires that the material be well characterized. Therefore the second volume, Characterization and Simulation provides a comprehensive review of both experimental methods and simulation techniques for the characterization of magnetic materials. After an introduction, each section gives a detailed description of the method and the following sections provide examples and results of the method. Finally further development of the method will be discussed. The success of each type of magnetic material depends on its properties and cost which are directly related to its fabrication process. Processing of a material can be critical for development of artificial materials such as multilayer films, clusters, etc. Moreover, cost-effective processing usually determines whether a material can be commercialized. In recent years processing of materials has continuously evolved from improvement of traditional methods to more sophisticated and novel methods. The objective of the third volume, Processing of Advanced Magnetic Materials, is to provide a comprehensive review of recent developments in processing of advanced magnetic materials. Each chapter will have an introduction and a section to provide a detailed description of the processing method. The following sections give detailed descriptions of the processing, properties and applications of the relevant materials. Finally the potential and limitation of the processing method will be discussed. The properties of a magnetic material can be characterized by intrinsic properties such as anisotropy, saturation magnetization and extrinsic properties such as coercivity. The properties of a magnetic material can be affected by its chemical composition and processing route. With the continuous search for new materials and invention of new processing routes, magnetic properties of materials cover a wide spectrum of soft magnetic materials, hard magnetic materials, recording materials, sensor materials and others. The objective of the fourth volume, Properties and Applications of Advanced Magnetic Materials, is to provide a comprehensive review of recent development of various magnetic materials and their applications. Each chapter will have an introduction of the materials and the principles of their applications. The following sections give a detailed description of the processing, properties and applications. Finally the potential and limitation of the materials will be discussed.

Nanoscale Magnetic Materials and Applications covers exciting new developments in the field of advanced magnetic materials. Readers will find valuable reviews of the current experimental and theoretical work on novel magnetic structures, nanocomposite magnets, spintronic materials, domain structure and domain-wall motion, in addition to nanoparticles and patterned magnetic recording media. Cutting-edge applications in the field are described by leading experts from academic and industrial communities. These include new devices based on domain wall motion, magnetic sensors derived from both giant and tunneling magnetoresistance, thin film devices in micro-electromechanical systems, and nanoparticle applications in biomedicine. In addition to providing an introduction to the advances in magnetic materials and applications at the nanoscale, this volume also presents emerging materials and phenomena, such as magnetocaloric and ferromagnetic shape memory materials, which motivate future development in this exciting field. Nanoscale Magnetic Materials and Applications also features a foreword written by Peter Grünberg, recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Advances in Nanocomposites - Synthesis, Characterization and Industrial Applications was conceived as a comprehensive reference volume on various aspects of functional nanocomposites for engineering technologies. The term functional nanocomposites signifies a wide area of polymer/material science and engineering, involving the design, synthesis and study of nanocomposites of increasing structural sophistication and complexity useful for a wide range of chemical, physicochemical and biological/biomedical processes. "Emerging technologies" are also broadly understood to include new technological developments, beginning at the forefront of conventional industrial practices and extending into anticipated and speculative industries of the future. The scope of the present book on nanocomposites and applications extends far beyond emerging technologies. This book presents 40 chapters organized in four parts systematically providing a wealth of new ideas in design, synthesis and study of sophisticated nanocomposite structures.