Compensation of anisotropy effects in flux-confining permanent-magnet structures

The authors present an analytical approach to the design of permanent magnet structures producing confined homogeneous magnetic fields. The method applies particularly to the 2-D type of devices proposed by K. Halbach (1980), and has the advantage of being suited to cases in which the permanent magnet material has relative permeability μ≠1 or is anisotropic. With this approach, it becomes possible to compensate the inhomogenizing effect of permeability already evident in the dimensioning phase, which greatly enhances the possibility of generating extremely homogeneous fields