Louis Néel developed models of magnetism with interacting magnetic sublattices. In an antiferromagnet, opposing moments can cancel the net magnetization while maintaining ordered internal structure. In a ferrimagnet, unequal opposing contributions leave a net moment. The distinction explains why magnetic order cannot be identified with one uniform alignment of every moment. His molecular-field treatment connects interactions between sublattices with measurable magnetic response and the behavior of magnetic oxides.[ref]
Magnetism and the local molecular field by Louis Néel. Nobel lecture, antiferromagnetism, ferrimagnetism and sublattice fields
A physicist who developed models of antiferromagnetism.[ref]
Louis Néel: institutional research history. Independent professional research and appointment; see profile text
Portrait of Louis Néel
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Louis Néel was a French physicist, best known for his work in the field of magnetism. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1970 for his pioneering contributions to the understanding of ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism, particularly in how these phenomena occur in solids. Néel's research helped to elucidate the behavior of magnetic materials at different temperatures and contributed to the development of concepts such as magnetic domains.