Magnetic anisotropy due to the Casimir effect

Journal Article · Mon Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.81.022123· OSTI ID:21415166

Metalidis, G; Bruno, P ^[1]

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1. Institut fuer Theoretische Festkoerperphysik, Karlsruhe Institut fuer Technologie (KIT), D-76131 Karlsruhe (Germany)

We consider the Casimir interaction between a ferromagnetic and a nonmagnetic mirror and show how the Casimir effect gives rise to a magnetic anisotropy in the ferromagnetic layer. The anisotropy is out of plane if the nonmagnetic plate is optically isotropic. If the nonmagnetic plate shows a uniaxial optical anisotropy (with optical axis in the plate plane), we find an in-plane magnetic anisotropy. In both cases, the energetically most favorable magnetization orientation is given by the competition between polar, longitudinal, and transverse contributions to the magneto-optical Kerr effect and will therefore depend on the interplate distance. Numerical results will be presented for a magnetic plate made out of Fe and nonmagnetic plates of Au (optically isotropic), quartz, calcite, and barium titanate (all uniaxially birefringent).

• OSTI ID: 21415166
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 81; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ANISOTROPY
BARIUM
CASIMIR EFFECT
DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
INTERACTIONS
KERR EFFECT
LAYERS
MAGNETIZATION
METALS
MINERALS
MIRRORS
ORIENTATION
OXIDE MINERALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUARTZ
TITANATES
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS