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Vector Magnetometer Model 10 VSM

The Model 10 Mark II VSM is the state of the art in VSM magnetometers. Its sensitivity and accuracy surpasses all other commercial vector magnetometers. Its field range and resolution make it the ideal system both for high and low coercivity materials. The accuracy in the determination of the magnetization vector, together with the high sensitivity, makes this the first VSM that can be a real alternative to a torque magnetometer for anisotropy studies on modern recording materials.

The real time field control system with field noise as low as 5 mOe, make this system suitable for both high coercivity and low coercivity materials.

Comparison to traditional vector magnetometers

The Model 10 VSM has solved the biggest problem in traditional vector magnetometers: the difficult calibration process and the angular dependence of the sensitivity.

In a traditional VSM, when the orientation of the sample to the field (or the field to the sample) is changed, the orientation of the sample relative to the coils is changed. As a result, the sensitivity of the system will be different at every angle. This is especially true if the sample is not rotation symmetric. Even with rotation symmetric samples there will always be some angular variation due to rotation eccentricities.

Furthermore, in all vector magnetometers where the sensor is fixed relative to the magnetic field, it is impossible to do a direct calibration of the Y direction sensor (coils) because it is impossible to apply a field in the Y direction and saturate the sample.

Both issues have been solved in the Model 10 VSM Mark II. In this system the sensor coils are fixed relative to the sample and the magnet rotates around both the coils and the sample. This allows the direct calibration of the Y coils by applying a field in the direction of the Y coils and it prevents angular sensitivity changes in the sensitivity by keeping the position and orientation of the sample fixed to the sense coils.

Specifications and included accessories

The Model 10 VSM delivers very low vector coil noise of 5 micro-emu without any signal averaging and 0.5 micro-emu when the signal is averaged 100 times. The magnet can rotate from -540 to + 540 degrees with a resolution better than 0.1 deg. The vector coils are a standard option. At the most optimal gap, the system can reach a maximum field of 20,000 Oe and has a maximum error in the magnetization vector magnitude or angle of less than ±1.5% and ±1.5º.

At a slightly smaller magnet gap, the maximum field is 22,000 Oe.

The temperature option is always included with the system and always ready to use installed on the system. The temperature range is 77K + 100K to 773K.

The inside diameter of the temperature chamber (oven/cryostat) is 10 mm, considerably larger than the ID of other vector VSM systems ovens or cryostats. The combination of the 6x lower vector coil noise and the larger sample space provides the Model 10 with a 15x better signal to noise ratio than the closest competitor.

A high field scalar option is available to bring the maximum field to above 30,000 Oe.

Efficient air cooled magnet power supply

The Model 10 VSM mk II is equipped with a 15 kW magnet power supply that can easily deliver the 10.6 kW required at maximum field by the electromagnet. Due to the high efficiency of the design of this power supply, very little power is dissipated inside the power supply, reducing the stress on all electronic components ensuring a long trouble free life of the power supply. Also, because so little power is dissipated in the power supply, no water cooling is required to cool the electronics, making this an inherently much safer design than power supplies that require water cooling.