April 4, 2017
Dr. Craig Zaspel's research in magnetism has far reaching applications in the field of cancer research.
Dr. Craig Zaspel, Professor of Physics at the University of Montana Western, recently had his article “Vortex Precession in Thin Elliptical Ferromagnetic Nanodisks” accepted for publication by the Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials.
The article is the culmination of years of research for Zaspel, who collaborated with physicists at the Institute of Magnetism in Kiev and Kansas State University to study the magnetization of nanoparticles.
“These nanoparticles, due to their size, have the shape of a vortex,” Zaspel said. “It’s like a whirlpool of magnetization, and we can harness energy from it.” One of the applications of nanomagnetism is the ability to calculate and manipulate microwaves, which Zaspel was the first to discover.
“These microwave generators will lead to advances in technology and can be a boon to electrical engineers,” he said. “Already, research is being conducted on inserting nanomagnets into cancer tumors in mice.” Putting microwave energy into nanomagnets causes them to vibrate, which breaks down and kills cancer cells.
When asked what he enjoys most about his work, Zaspel replied, “Learning something that hasn’t been known before.”
Dr. Zaspel’s article is slated for publication on July 1st.
