Magnetization Dynamics in Short Magnetic Field Pulses: Applications to Magnetic Media and Films

When studying magnetic phenomena at short time scales one method is to apply a very short pulse magnetic field and study the response to it. It is difficult to make very short magnetic field pulses with conventional solid-state techniques when the electric current used in generating the magnetic field has to overcome inevitable capacitive and inductive effects. However, if one makes an electric current with relativistic electrons in vacuum, those effects are much more reduced. We explore the precessional switching in magnetic recording media and model magnetic thin films using the magnetic field associated with the electron bunch of the Stanford Linear Accelerator. Information about the magnetization dynamics is extracted from the magnetic patterns generated by the magnetic field. The shape and size of these patterns are influenced by the dissipation of angular momentum involved in the switching process. The book should be useful to students and professionals in the area of magnetism.