Multisensor Magnetic Scanning Microscope for Remanent Magnetic Field Measurements.

Magnetic Scanning Microscopy (MSM) emerged with the aim of allowing the visualization of magnetic fields of a sample or material through scanning and proved particularly useful for geology, biomedicine, characterization of magnetic materials, and in the steel industry. In this regard, the reading system of an MSM was modified using a µ-metal magnetic shielding structure to analyze remanent fields. The MSM was adapted to perform readings using two different types of sensors. The sensitive area of the sensors was evaluated, and the HQ-0811 (AKM-Asahi KaseiTM Microdevices) and STJ-010 (Micro MagneticsTM) sensors were chosen, with the HQ-0811 standardized on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) to facilitate handling and increase the system's robustness. In the shielded chamber, two piezoelectric ANC-150 stepper motors (Attocube Systems) were used, arranged planarly, to allow the movement of the analyzed samples under the mounted sensors. To acquire data from the sensors, the Precision Current Source Model 6220 and the Nanovoltmeter Model 2182A (both from Keithley) were used, along with Keithley's Delta-Mode integrated system. To analyze the system's effectiveness, three distinct samples were analyzed for calibration, and a MATLAB program was written to analyze the images and extract the material's magnetization. Additionally, a rock sample from the Parnaíba Basin was mapped to demonstrate the system's capabilities.

Characterizing Complex Mineral Structures in Thin Sections of Geological Samples with a Scanning Hall Effect Microscope.

We improved a magnetic scanning microscope for measuring the magnetic properties of minerals in thin sections of geological samples at submillimeter scales. The microscope is comprised of a 200 µm diameter Hall sensor that is located at a distance of 142 µm from the sample; an electromagnet capable of applying up to 500 mT DC magnetic fields to the sample over a 40 mm diameter region; a second Hall sensor arranged in a gradiometric configuration to cancel the background signal applied by the electromagnet and reduce the overall noise in the system; a custom-designed electronics system to bias the sensors and allow adjustments to the background signal cancelation; and a scanning XY stage with micrometer resolution. Our system achieves a spatial resolution of 200 µm with a noise at 6.0 Hz of 300 nTrms/(Hz)1/2 in an unshielded environment. The magnetic moment sensitivity is 1.3 × 10-11 Am². We successfully measured the representative magnetization of a geological sample using an alternative model that takes the sample geometry into account and identified different micrometric characteristics in the sample slice.

Magnetic Characterization by Scanning Microscopy of Functionalized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

This study aimed to systematically understand the magnetic properties of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles functionalized with different Pluronic F-127 surfactant concentrations (Fe3O4@Pluronic F-127) obtained by using an improved magnetic characterization method based on three-dimensional magnetic maps generated by scanning magnetic microscopy. Additionally, these Fe3O4 and Fe3O4@Pluronic F-127 nanoparticles, as promising systems for biomedical applications, were prepared by a wet chemical reaction. The magnetization curve was obtained through these three-dimensional maps, confirming that both Fe3O4 and Fe3O4@Pluronic F-127 nanoparticles have a superparamagnetic behavior. The as-prepared samples, stored at approximately 20 °C, showed no change in the magnetization curve even months after their generation, resulting in no nanoparticles free from oxidation, as Raman measurements have confirmed. Furthermore, by applying this magnetic technique, it was possible to estimate that the nanoparticles' magnetic core diameter was about 5 nm. Our results were confirmed by comparison with other techniques, namely as transmission electron microscopy imaging and diffraction together with Raman spectroscopy. Finally, these results, in addition to validating scanning magnetic microscopy, also highlight its potential for a detailed magnetic characterization of nanoparticles.

Scanning Magnetic Microscope Using a Gradiometric Configuration for Characterization of Rock Samples.

Scanning magnetic microscopy is a tool that has been used to map magnetic fields with good spatial resolution and field sensitivity. This technology has great advantages over other instruments; for example, its operation does not require cryogenic technology, which reduces its operational cost and complexity. Here, we presented a spatial domain technique based on an equivalent layer approach for processing the data set produced by magnetic microscopy. This approach estimated a magnetic moment distribution over a fictitious layer composed by a set of dipoles located below the observation plane. For this purpose, we formulated a linear inverse problem for calculating the magnetic vector and its amplitude. Vector field maps are valuable tools for the magnetic interpretation of samples with a high spatial variability of magnetization. These maps could provide comprehensive information regarding the spatial distribution of magnetic carriers. In addition, this approach might be useful for characterizing isolated areas over samples or investigating the spatial magnetization distribution of bulk samples at the micro and millimeter scales. This technique could be useful for many applications that require samples that need to be mapped without a magnetic field at room temperature, including rock magnetism.