ABSTRACT

The promises of magnetic nanomaterials are huge, and to achieve the grand challenges in the field of nanomagnetism, it is necessary to understand magnetism at nanoscale. The fundamental characteristic of the same material differs greatly at nanoscale and macroscale. The reason is broken translation symmetry at nanoscale, along with the sizes of nano-objects proportionate to characteristic lengths of the inherent material, and some other effects. In this chapter, an overview of the fundamentals of magnetism at nanoscale, with emphasis on explaining the mechanism underlying various phenomenon at nanolevel, is provided. Special attention has been paid to the origin of magnetic domains, exchange bias, and role of different anisotropies in nanomagnetism, as they have become a key issue in current research. An insight to the exchange-spring magnets and exchange-biased magnets will foster the realization of new materials that may be processed into the next generation of advanced permanent magnets.