| Overview: While the underlying mechanisms responsible for the magnetism of materials involve electronic interactions at the atomic level, the bulk properties of permanent magnets are governed at a larger length scale and are greatly influenced by microstructure. The magnetics literature (probably from the time of the ancient Greeks) is rich in recipes for enhancing magnet performance by modifying the microstructure during processing (sometimes by rather crude heat and beat techniques). The magnetics communities are now in position to better understand and control the relevant microstructure for optimizing magnet performance. High performance computing is enabling researchers to model magnetic devices at smaller and smaller length scales, while at the same time accurate first principles calculations of magnetic properties now extend to systems involving thousands of atoms. The two different approaches: continuum versus discrete, and physics versus engineering, are approaching each other at mesoscopic length scales. There is a great opportunity to bring both communities together, and that is the goal of this project. The five subtasks of this project are: 1) Fundamental Physics, 2) First Principles derived parameters, 3) Domain Walls, 4)Coarse Graining, and 5) Micro-magnetics Code Development. Approximately 25 scientists from DOE labs, universities, other government laboratories, and industry are involved in one or more of the subtasks. |