One material, two types of magnetism
Thursday, November 22, 2012 - 08:01
in Physics & Chemistry
When placed next to a bar magnet, an aluminum ball draws gently towards the magnet. In contrast, a ball made of silver moves out of the magnetic field. The mechanisms underlying these different behaviors are known as paramagnetism and diamagnetism, respectively. Surprisingly, the material called BiTeI—composed of layers of bismuth, tellurium and iodine atoms—can be either diamagnetic or paramagnetic, depending on how it is prepared.