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Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Optimizing Magnetic Force Microscopy Resolution and Sensitivity to Visualize Nanoscale Magnetic Domains
Published on: July 20, 2022
Shape-controlled anisotropy of superparamagnetic micro-/nanohelices
Alexander M Leshansky1, Konstantin I Morozov, Boris Y Rubinstein
1Department of Chemical Engineering and Russel Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel. lisha@technion.ac.il.
We developed a numerical method to calculate the magnetic properties of micro-/nanopropellers. Nanopropeller shape significantly impacts their ability to be propelled by magnetic fields, with tight helices showing the most promise.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
Background:
- Micro-/nanopropellers offer precise remote actuation in fluids using rotating magnetic fields.
- Recent advances include superparamagnetic microhelices magnetized by external fields, not possessing remanent magnetization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a numerical approach for calculating the effective susceptibility of polarizable helical micro-/nanopropellers from first principles.
- To investigate the influence of nanopropeller geometry on magnetic anisotropy and polarizability.
Main Methods:
- Numerical computation of effective susceptibility for helical micro-/nanopropellers.
- Analysis of geometric factors like filament cross-section elongation and orientation.
- Comparison of numerical predictions with experimental data and slender-body theory.
Main Results:
- Nanopropeller geometry, specifically filament cross-section elongation and orientation, is crucial for magnetic anisotropy and polarizability.
- Tight polarizable helices demonstrate propulsive capabilities, aligning with experimental findings.
- Numerical results are consistent with approximate slender-body theory.
Conclusions:
- A numerical method accurately predicts the magnetic properties and propulsive capacity of micro-/nanopropellers.
- Geometric optimization of nanopropeller design can enhance propulsion efficiency.
- A criterion is proposed for ranking helices based on their propulsive potential and estimating maximum speed.
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