Modeling of local magnetic ordering in magnetite nanoparticle assemblies

Magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) are a vital part of many applications in biomedicine and other nanotechnologies. There is a growing interest in NP for drug targeting, MRI, and bio-separation. Magnetite NPs stand to be effective in these roles due to the non-toxic nature of magnetite and its ease of manufacture. To be more effectively applied in these applications, a greater understanding of the magnetic behavior of magnetite NPs is needed. This research seeks to discover the local magnetic ordering of ensembles of magnetite NPs occurring at various stages of the magnetization process. To complete this study, we use coherent x-ray magnetic scattering, which provides a unique fingerprint of the magnetic order in the material. I will present modeling results using a one-dimensional model of NP chains with a mix of ferro and antiferromagnetic ordering.