This book provides a comprehensive overview of the systematic magnet-optical investigation of the cylindrically shaped magnetic microwires. The idea to study magnetic wires using magneto-optic technique has appeared in the late nineties of 20th century as a response to the discovery of the Giant Magneto-Impedance Effect – one of the most promising effects observed in this type of enough particular magnetic objects.
The investigations have been performed on the intersection of the applied and basic sciences. Therefore, two directions were prioritized in our study. First, we sought the discovery of new effects, and we succeeded it: circular bistability, visualization of Giant Barkhausen Jump, correlation between GMI effect and surface magnetization, etc. The discovering of these phenomena has raised us to new level of the understanding of physical process happened in magnetic wires. The significant experimental success was conditioned by the realization of original experimental configuration named “Magneto-optical Kerr effect without external magnetic field”: the studies have been performed only in the presence of circular magnetic field produced by the electric current flowing along the microwire.
Another fundamental task related to the material science, was the optimization of the magnetic, electrical and mechanical properties of the wires taking into account the technological application. The performance of the systematical study of wide series of wires of different composition and geometric ratio permitted us to determine the methodical features helping to predicate and control the key parameters of microwires.
The Contents of the Book reflects this duality of our investigation. The book consists as of parts described the basic physical effects and of the chapters devoted to the detailed elucidation of the observed features.
Directed the main attention to the glass covered wires of micrometer scale we have advanced to the nano- area. Now it is clear that the cylindrical symmetry and the specific stress distribution induced by the glass covering are the key parameters providing the competitive technological application of the microwires. The idea was to move to nano scale maintaining the achieved optimal parameters of micro-wires. The first steps of this motion to “nano” range are presented in this book as an example of the versatility of the basic effects initially discovered for micro- scale.
