Publications Repository - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

We introduce a Faraday magnetometer based on an analytical balance in which we were able to apply magnetic fields up to 0.14 T. We calibrated it with a 1mm Ni sphere previously characterized in a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. The proposed magnetometer reached a theoretical sensitivity of 3x 10^-8 Am². We demonstrated its operation on magnetic composite scaffolds made of poly(e-caprolactone)/iron-doped hydroxyapatite. To confirm the validity of the method, we measured the same scaffold properties in a SQUID magnetometer. The agreement between the two measurements was within 5% at 0.127 T and 12% at 24mT. With the addition, for a small cost, of a permanent magnet and computer controlled linear translators, we were thus able to assemble a Faraday magnetometer based on an analytical balance, which is a virtually ubiquitous instrument. This will make simple but effective magnetometry easily accessible to most laboratories, in particular, to life sciences ones, which are increasingly interested in magnetic materials.