This book covers a broad range of topics in magnetism and magnetic materials. There are other books on similar topics, but this one is the most comprehensive in its wide and thorough coverage of applications ranging from magnetic storage to spintronics to bio-related applications.
The book begins with a discussion of electromagnetism and an overview of different types of magnetism, followed by the atomic origin of magnetism and theoretical treatment for mechanisms producing various properties. Different from most other books in this field, there is no separate chapter on experimental measurement methods; rather, these methods are included in the discussion of related phenomena.
While the first 10 chapters focus on the fundamentals of magnetism and magnetic materials, the second half of the book covers different materials and their applications. Nanoscale magnetism and magnetic materials, fine nanoparticles, nanostructured materials, magnetic surfaces, and interfaces and their applications in biology and information storage are reviewed. Chapter 11’s coverage of the more conventional soft and hard magnet materials is a little too brief, considering the growing importance of these materials for green energy applications. Each chapter starts with a brief summary of the topics to be covered and concludes with further reading, references, and exercises.
Despite the broad coverage of this book, most topics are discussed in depth. For example, techniques for imaging magnetic domains are extensively described—the most complete among all books on magnetism and magnetic materials—and the Stoner–Wohlfarth model is derived with excellent illustrations. The content is up to date and reflects the latest progress in research, especially for nanomagnetic materials. Most of the figures are extracted from other publications, but they are of high resolution and are explicit. The style of writing is clear and concise, and the material is well presented.
The complexity of magnetism makes it challenging to discuss each topic exclusively in one chapter. Such interdependence is presented in this book by placing cross-references, and readers are referred to other chapters/sections for more information about the topics.
The units and the choice of units in magnetism present a continual problem, in particular, for those who have little exposure to this subject. Although the International System of Units (SI) is highly recommended by international organizations, the centimeter–gram–second (CGS) system is still widely used by researchers and engineers. The author prefers the SI system, but the CGS form of most important equations and conclusions is also provided, and the CGS system is also used in figures and tables cited from other publications. However, for those who are not experienced, it might be difficult to comprehend the CGS system. It would have been helpful if the book had provided an appendix or chapter briefly explaining the relationship between these two systems.
Readers who have studied quantum mechanics and solid-state physics will find the discussion to be easy to follow. However, for those who have little or no such background, brief introductions with minimum mathematics are provided to elucidate the fundamental concepts prior to the profound descriptions. This is an excellent book for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and researchers in the field.
Reviewer: Wanfeng Li , research engineer of Research & Advanced Engineering, Ford Motor Co., USA.
