Cambridge Studies in Magnetism – serie

Rock Magnetism, first published in 1997, is a comprehensive treatment of fine particle magnetism and the magnetic properties of rocks. Starting from atomic magnetism and magnetostatic principles, the authors explain why domains and micromagnetic structures form in ferromagnetic crystals and how these lead to magnetic memory in the form of thermal, chemical and other remanent magnetizations. The phenomenal stability of these magnetizations, providing a record of plate tectonic motions over millions of years, is explained by thermal activation theory. One chapter is devoted to practical tests of domain state and paleomagnetic stability; another deals with pseudo-single-domain magnetism. The final four chapters place magnetism in the context of igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic, and extraterrestrial rocks. This book will be of great value to graduate students and researchers in geophysics and geology, particularly in paleomagnetism and rock magnetism, as well as physicists and electrical engineers interested in fine-particle magnetism and magnetic recording.

This is the first book presenting a coherent theoretical and experimental treatment of the rapidly developing field of macroscopic quantum tunneling of the magnetic moment. The theory is based on the concept of the magnetic instanton and its renormalization by the dissipative environment. The book includes discussions of the tunneling of magnetic moment in small ferromagnetic grains, tunneling of the Ne'el vector in antiferromagnetic grains, quantum nucleation of magnetic domains, and quantum depinning of domain walls. The experimental part collects the majority of recent data that are, or may be, relevant to spin tunneling. Among the topics described are low temperature magnetic relaxation and its interpretation in various systems, experiments on single particles and mesoscopic wires, and resonant spin tunneling in molecular magnets. This study of an important new field in condensed matter physics by two leading contributors to the subject will be of interest to theorists and experimentalists alike.

The study of spin glasses is a fascinating new topic in condensed matter physics that has attracted considerable attention over recent years. This book gives a comprehensive account of the subject, and will provide a valuable overview and reference to both newcomers and experts in the field. The authors discuss the most important developments in the theory, experimental work and computer modelling of spin glasses. The first chapters give a general introduction to the basic concepts, followed by a discussion of mean field theory, the only well-established spin glass theory so far. This book will be of interest primarily to condensed matter physicists, but because of the potentially wide applications of the theory involved, the book should also appeal to researchers in other disciplines, including theoretical physics, metallurgy and computational neuroscience.

This is the first book presenting a coherent theoretical and experimental treatment of the rapidly developing field of macroscopic quantum tunneling of the magnetic moment. The theory is based on the concept of the magnetic instanton and its renormalization by the dissipative environment. The book includes discussions of the tunneling of magnetic moment in small ferromagnetic grains, tunneling of the Ne'el vector in antiferromagnetic grains, quantum nucleation of magnetic domains, and quantum depinning of domain walls. The experimental part collects the majority of recent data that are, or may be, relevant to spin tunneling. Among the topics described are low temperature magnetic relaxation and its interpretation in various systems, experiments on single particles and mesoscopic wires, and resonant spin tunneling in molecular magnets. This study of an important new field in condensed matter physics by two leading contributors to the subject will be of interest to theorists and experimentalists alike.