University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
The research of Ralph Skomski focused on theory of magnetic nanostructures. The main aim was to model the behavior of nanostructures and to make predictions about conceivable but difficult-to-produce materials.
The relevant length scales of the involved structural features vary from a few interatomic distances to more than 100 nm, and each length scale has its own characteristics. Examples of small-scale magnetic nanostructures of interest are nanotubes, nanorings, patterned thin films, and particulate materials. These structures exhibit, among other features, interesting spin-wave and magnetization-reversal modes. On an atomic scale, chemical substitutions, interstitial modification, and changes in the crystal structure are exploited to tailor intrinsic properties such as anisotropy, Curie temperature and magnetic moment.
On length scales larger than a few nm, the magnetic material can be treated as a continuum. In this regime, the atomic properties enter the consideration as micromagnetic parameters. The morphological peculiarities of magnetic nanostructures lead to a variety of novel micromagnetic effects. One example is intergranular exchange coupling, which has a strong effect on the performance of advanced permanent magnets, magnetic recording media, and magnetoresistive materials.
Other research areas of interest were time-dependent magnetization processes (magnetic viscosity and fast processes), the spin structure of half-metallic ferromagnets as well as topics such as RKKY interactions between nanomagnets embedded in a nonmagnetic metallic matrix. Emphasis was on analytic models, which are designed to complement and guide other scientists' numerical approaches, such as band-structure calculations.
1994
Magnetoresistance in Nanostructured Co-Ag Prepared by Mechanical- Alloying, J.M.D. Coey, A.J. Fagan, Ralph Skomski, J. Gregg, K. Ounadjela, and S.M. Thompson
Aligned two-phase magnets: Permanent magnetism of the future? (invited), Ralph Skomski
Exchange Coupling and Energy Product in Random Two- Phase Aligned Magnets, Ralph Skomski and J.M.D. Coey
1993
New Magnets from Interstitial Intermetallics, J.M.D. Coey and Ralph Skomski
Characterization, transport, and magnetic properties of Co/Pd multilayers produced by pulsed laser deposition, M. Enrech, Ralph Skomski, J.M.D. Coey, and J.G. Lunney
Giant energy product in nanostructured two-phase magnets , Ralph Skomski and J.M.D. Coey
Nitrogen diffusion in Sm2Fe17 and local elastic and magnetic properties, Ralph Skomski and J.M.D. Coey
NUCLEATION FIELD AND ENERGY PRODUCT OF ALIGNED TWO-PHASE MAGNETS - PROGRESS TOWARDS THE '1 MJ/m3' MAGNET, Ralph Skomski and J.M.D. Coey
Crystal field in nitrogenated rare-earth intermetallics, Ralph Skomski, M.D. Kuz'min, and J.M.D. Coey
Magnetic reversal in Sm2Fe17Ny permanent magnets, Ralph Skomski, K.-H. Müller, P.A.P. Wendhausen, and J.M.D. Coey
Interstitial modification of rare-earth intermetallics, Ralph Skomski, S. Murray, S. Brennan, and J.M.D. Coey
On the role of Zn in Sm2Fe17Nx permanent magnets, P.A.P. Wendhausen, D. Eckert, A. Handstein, K.-H. Müller, G. Leitner, and Ralph Skomski
1992
GAS PHASE INTERSTITIAL MODIFICATION OF RARE-EARTH INTERMETALLICS, J.M.D. Coey, Ralph Skomski, and S. Wirth
Magnetization and 57Fe hyperfine fields in Y2Fe17Z3- δ (Z=H, C, or N) interstitial compounds, Qi-nian Qi, Hong Sun, Ralph Skomski, and J.M.D. Coey