The influence of long range interparticle correlations on the magnetically induced optical anisotropy in magnetic colloids

Abstract

In this paper we develop a theoretical model for the magnetically induced optical anisotropy in dense magnetic colloids made of spherical and un-aggregated magnetic monodomain nanoparticles. Both dipole–field and dipole–dipole magnetic and electric interactions between the magnetic monodomain particles are taken into account in the Hamiltonian of the system. Using the pair correlation function in a colloidal suspension of magnetic nanoparticles developed by Ivanov and Kuznetsova (2001) [11], the complex dielectric constant of a magnetic colloid is modeled as a function of the light polarization direction, the magnetic field intensity and magnetic particle concentration and diameter. The two main features of the model are that, on the one hand, it predicts the possibility of magnetically induced optical anisotropy in dense magnetic colloids made of spherical and un-aggregated monodomain nanoparticles, and on the other hand, unlike the existing models for diluted samples, it predicts a non-linear dependence of dichroism and birefringence on magnetic particle concentration.