Simulation and Experimental Measurement of Magnetic Fluid Transmission Characteristics Subjected to the Magnetic Field

Microstructure of magnetic fluid under the applied external magnetic field was simulated by the Monte Carlo method, which could be used to research the transmission characteristics of the magnetic fluid film. Transmittance of a 10 μm magnetic fluid film at the 1550 nm wavelength was obtained by tracing the path of a single photon in the film, which could be explained by the phenomenon of microstructure change with various applied magnetic fields. Moreover, the transmittances were measured in the experiment when the light direction was, respectively, parallel and perpendicular to the direction of the applied magnetic field. Maximum errors between the experimental and simulation results are ±8.3% and ±4.4%, respectively, for the above two different cases. In summary, transmittance of magnetic fluid will increase with the increasing of magnetic field intensity when light is parallel to the magnetic field, while transmittance will reduce at first, and then increase with the increasing of the magnetic field intensity when the light is perpendicular to the magnetic field.