What Is the Magnetics Society?

The IEEE Magnetics Society is a professional technical society within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) dedicated to advancing the science and technology of magnetic phenomena, magnetic materials, and magnetically based devices. Founded in 1963, it brings together researchers and engineers working across the spectrum of magnetics, from fundamental physics of magnetic ordering to applied engineering of motors, data storage systems, sensors, and biomedical instruments. The Society maintains a worldwide membership and organizes the principal international conferences in the field.

The scope of the Society reflects the breadth of modern magnetics research. It encompasses hard and soft magnetic materials, magnetic thin films and nanostructures, spintronics, magnetic recording, magnetic sensors, power magnetics, and biomedical applications of magnetic fields. This range of subject matter is unified by the underlying physics of exchange interactions, spin dynamics, and the response of magnetic materials to applied fields.

Publications

The IEEE Magnetics Society publishes two peer-reviewed journals that together constitute the primary archival record of magnetics research. IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, published continuously since 1965, covers both fundamental science and engineering applications across all areas within the Society's technical scope. It is among the most-cited journals in the field of applied magnetics and publishes special issues corresponding to papers presented at the Society's major conferences. The companion publication, IEEE Magnetics Letters, provides rapid dissemination of high-impact results in a shorter format, with a target review cycle of eight weeks.

Conferences

The Society sponsors two flagship annual conferences that together define the calendar of the global magnetics research community. The INTERMAG Conference, held annually, focuses on applied aspects of magnetism and covers magnetic materials, devices, and applications relevant to industry and advanced research. The Magnetism and Magnetic Materials (MMM) Conference, co-sponsored with the American Institute of Physics, emphasizes fundamental magnetic phenomena and materials physics. Both conferences publish their accepted papers in IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, giving them wide distribution and indexing. The IEEE Magnetics Society also supports regional workshops and schools aimed at educating early-career researchers in magnetics topics.

Technical Scope and Standards Activity

The Society's technical committee structure organizes its membership around specific sub-disciplines including perpendicular recording media, spin electronics, magnetic sensors and actuators, soft magnetic materials, and power magnetics. Members contribute to IEEE standards activities relevant to measurement of magnetic properties, characterization of recording media, and electromagnetic compatibility in magnetically active systems. The Society collaborates with the IEEE Standards Association on standards that affect the design and testing of magnetic components used in power conversion, telecommunications, and data storage. Distinguished contributions to the field are recognized through Society awards including the IEEE Magnetics Society Achievement Award and the IEEE Magnetics Society Distinguished Lecturer program.

Applications

The IEEE Magnetics Society encompasses research with applications in a wide range of technologies, including:

• Magnetic random-access memory and spintronic logic devices
• Hard disk drives and magnetic tape archives for data storage
• Permanent magnet motors in electric vehicles and industrial drives
• Magnetic sensors for automotive, aerospace, and biomedical use
• MRI systems and magnetoencephalography instrumentation