Magnetic Bubble Technology

Book excerpt: Magnetic bubbles are of interest to engineers because their properties can be used for important practical electronic devices and they are of interest to physicists because their properties are manifestations of intriguing physical principles. At the same time, the fabrication of useful configurations challenges the materials scientists and engineers. A technology of magnetic bubbles has developed to the point where commercial products are being marketed. In addition, new discovery and development are driving this technology toward substantially lower costs and presumably broader application. For all of these reasons there is a need to educate newcomers to this field in universities and in industry. The purpose of this book is to provide a text for a one-semester course that can be taught under headings of Solid State Physics, Materials Science, Computer Technology or Integrated Electronics. It is expected that the student of anyone of these disciplines will be interested in each of the chapters of this book to some degree, but may concentrate on some more than others, depending on the discipline. At the end of each chapter there is a brief summary which will serve as a reminder of the contents of the chapter but can also be read ahead of time to determine the depth of your interest in the chapter.