Longest relaxation time versus maximum loss peak in the field-dependent longitudinal dynamics of suspended magnetic nanoparticles

Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticles in suspensions provide fascinating model systems to study field-induced effects. Their response to external fields also opens up promising new applications, e.g., in hyperthermia. Despite significant research efforts, several basic questions regarding the influence of external fields on the magnetization dynamics are still open. Here we revisit the classical model of a suspended magnetic nanoparticle with combined internal and Brownian dynamics in the presence of an external field and discuss the field-dependent longitudinal relaxation. While internal and Brownian dynamics are independent in the field-free case, the coupling of both processes when an external field is present leads to richer and more complicated behavior. Using a highly efficient and accurate solver to the underlying Fokker-Planck equation allows us to study a broad parameter range. We identify different dynamical regimes and study their respective properties. In particular, we discuss corrections to the popular rigid-dipole approximation which are captured in terms of a simplified diffusion-jump model in the Brownian-dominated regime with rare Néel relaxation events. In addition, we discover a regime with surprising mode-coupling effects for magnetically soft nanoparticles. We explain our findings with the help of a perturbation theory, showing that in this regime the magnetization relaxation at late times is slaved by the slow Brownian motion of the nanoparticle. We discuss consequences of these findings such as the discrepancy of the longest relaxation time and the inverse frequency of the loss peak of the magnetic susceptibility.