Analytical balance-based Faraday magnetometer

We introduce a Faraday magnetometer based on an analytical balance in which we were able to apply magnetic fields up to 0.14 T. We calibrated it with a 1mm Ni sphere previously characterized in a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. The proposed magnetometer reached a theoretical sensitivity of 3 x 10(-8) A m(2). We demonstrated its operation on magnetic composite scaffolds made of poly(epsilon-caprolactone)/ iron-doped hydroxyapatite. To confirm the validity of the method, we measured the same scaffold properties in a SQUID magnetometer. The agreement between the two measurements was within 5% at 0.127 T and 12% at 24mT. With the addition, for a small cost, of a permanent magnet and computer controlled linear translators, we were thus able to assemble a Faraday magnetometer based on an analytical balance, which is a virtually ubiquitous instrument. This will make simple but effective magnetometry easily accessible to most laboratories, in particular, to life sciences ones, which are increasingly interested in magnetic materials. Published by AIP Publishing.