Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Fabrication Procedures and Birefringence Measurements for Designing Magnetically Responsive Lanthanide Ion Chelating Phospholipid Assemblies
Published on: January 3, 2018
Magnetic birefringence of minerals
Barry R Jennings1, Stephen R Wilson, Peter J Ridler
1Physics Department, University of Reading, Berks, UK.
Abstract:
The earliest reports of magnetically induced optical birefringence included data for liquids, magnetic fluids and colloidal suspensions. Recent work has shown that with relatively straightforward apparatus, when carefully designed and aligned, measurable effects can be recorded even for suspensions of relatively weak diamagnetic materials, including mineral particles. By recording the magnitude of the birefringence induced in magnetic fields of up to two Tesla, a method for the analysis of the magnetic and optical characteristics of these diamagnetic colloids is evidenced. The principles, apparatus and methodology involved are described and novel data reported for the minerals attapulgite, bentonite, hectorite, kaolinite, montmorillonite and vermiculite. Preliminary experiments using pulsed fields on vermiculite sols show that, in favourable circumstances, estimates of particle size can be made by analysing signal response rates.
Related Concept Videos
Diamagnetism
Diamagnetism was discovered by Anton Brugmans in 1778 when he observed that bismuth gets repelled by magnetic fields, thus theorizing that diamagnets get repelled by magnets.
Magnetic Susceptibility and Permeability
When diamagnetic materials are placed under an external magnetic field, the moments opposite to the field are induced. Hence, the susceptibility for diamagnets has a minimal negative value of 10-5–10-6. Since...
Ferromagnetism
Magnetic Fields
A magnetic field is defined by the force that a charged particle experiences...
Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.
