Vittoria C. Magnetics, Dielectrics, and Wave Propagation with MatLAB Codes

CRC Press, 2010. — 472 p.The book provides a comprehensive description of wave propagation in magneto-dielectric materials. The magnetic state of a magnetic ion, for example, is considered at the atomic scale, and a mathematical link to wave propagation is provided at the macroscopic scale. Qualitative and quantitative arguments are presented to calculate magnetic parameters from first principles. A clear understanding of the origin of magnetic parameters from first principles is very important, as these parameters are to be included in a large-scale thermodynamic quantity referred to as the free energy. However, more importantly, it is to be able to calculate these parameters as the dimensionality of materials is reduced toward the microscopic scale. The conduit between the free energy and Maxwell’s equations is, of course, the permeability and permittivity tensors, which are shown to be derived from the free energy. As an example, we present a systematic way of deriving the permeability tensor of the most practical magnetic materials, cubic and hexagonal crystal structures. This approach is rather simple, but very general. Effectively, the book bridges the gap between microscopic and macroscopic principles as applied to wave propagation.