Magnetic systems

Magnetic systems are physical systems whose behavior is shaped by magnetic fields or interacting magnetic moments, including magnetic materials and assemblies of magnets.

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Magnetic moment: A vector measure of the strength and orientation of a source of magnetic fields. Moments are the microscopic or macroscopic sources whose interactions shape magnetic-system behavior.
Spin: An intrinsic form of angular momentum carried by quantum particles. Electron spin supplies much of the magnetic moment in ordinary magnetic materials.
Electric motor: A device that converts electrical energy into mechanical motion using electromagnetic forces. Motor designs arrange magnetic fields and currents to produce useful torque.
Ferromagnetism: Magnetic order in which neighboring moments align, producing spontaneous magnetization. It is the familiar ordered state behind many permanent magnets.
Spin ice: A frustrated magnetic state whose moments obey local constraints analogous to proton arrangements in water ice. Its residual disorder and emergent excitations challenge simple pictures of magnetic order.
Magnetic dipole interaction: The distance- and orientation-dependent interaction between magnetic dipoles. It explains why magnet spacing and alignment alter the system’s energy and configuration.
Orbital magnetic moment: A magnetic moment associated with a charged particle’s orbital angular momentum. It contributes to atomic magnetism alongside spin.
Magnetic resonance imaging: A medical imaging method that uses strong magnetic fields and radio-frequency signals to map signals from atomic nuclei. Its field-and-spin system turns magnetic responses into anatomical images.
Antiferromagnetism: Magnetic order in which neighboring moments align oppositely, usually yielding little net magnetization. Its compensated moments contrast with the strong net moment of ferromagnetic systems.
Quantum spin liquid: A magnetic state with strong quantum fluctuations and no conventional long-range magnetic order. It is a major candidate phase where collective quantum behavior prevents ordinary ordering.