A researcher of UPV/EHU has designed nanomagnets for industry

This work in the field of nanotechnology combines two multidisciplinary experimental worlds, the technological and the scientific. The technological is related to the manufacture of nanomagnets and magnetic devices, for which a complete series of techniques have been developed and/or made ready and which enable, from start to finish, the obtaining of samples by conventional methods and of wide industrial application. “Amongst other things, we have created a system for growing a number of materials at the same time, instead of just one at a time” said the researcher. In this PhD, two materials have been mainly employed: Ni-Fe and Co-Fe alloys.

Their magnetic behaviour has been studied, both as continuous layers and as samples of smaller size (threads, circles, ellipses), varying their shape and distances, given that they have different behaviour patterns – knowing these is essential for the different applications.

The magnetic behaviour of these materials was studied using hysteresis. Such magnetic behaviour enables the storage of computer hard discs in magnets: the magnetic field induces a magnetising of the small magnet – codified in a binary manner as either 0 or 1 -; this codification remains in the absence of the magnetic field and can be read subsequently, but it can also be inverted, applying a magnetic field in the opposite sense.

As we have mentioned, the main applications of this type of nanomagnets and magnetic devices are focused on the field of storage and data treatment, hard discs, etc.

The manufacture of nanomagnets and magnetic devices at a small scale has enabled having samples available and tackle problems of great current interest in the field of nanomagnetism.

Although the beginning of this thesis was somewhat difficult, given that what was involved was a new line of research for the Department of Physical Chemistry at the UPV/EHU, forthwith they will try to design and install new techniques and carry out trials on a wider range of materials.