Precursor nanoscale modulations in ferromagnets: Modeling and thermodynamic characterization

Using a Ginzburg-Landau model for the magnetic degrees of freedom with coupling to disorder, we demonstrate through simulations the existence of stripelike magnetic precursors recently observed in Co-Ni-Al alloys above the Curie temperature. We characterize these magnetic modulations by means of the temperature dependence of local magnetization distribution, magnetized volume fraction, and magnetic susceptibility. We also obtain a temperature-disorder strength phase diagram in which a magnetic tweed phase exists in a small region between the paramagnetic and dipolar phases.

Microwave absorption and magnetization tunneling in Mn12-acetate molecular clusters

In this paper we study the effect of microwave absorption on the quantum relaxation rate of Mn12 molecular clusters. We have determined first the resonant frequencies of a microwave resonator containing a single crystal of Mn12-Acetate and measured initial isothermal magnetization curves while microwave power was put into the resonator. We have found that the tunneling rate changes one order of magnitude for certain frequencies. This suggests that the microwave shaking of the nuclear spin and molecular vibrational degrees of freedom is responsible for the huge increasing of the tunneling rate.