Patent Number: 043552366
Section: claims

1. An adjustable strength multipole permanent magnet comprising a plurality of axial layers of magnetic material wherein one layer can be angularly displaced with respect to an adjacent layer, each of said axial layers comprising a plurality of segments comprising an oriented, anisotropic permanent magnet material arranged in a ring so that there is a substantially continuous ring of permanent magnet material, each segment having a predetermined easy axis orientation within a plane perpendicular to the axis of the magnet. 2. The multipole permanent magnet of claim 1 wherein said magnetic material comprises a rare earth cobalt material. 3. The multipole permanent magnet of claim 2 wherein said rare earth cobalt material is samarium cobalt. 4. The multipole permanent magnet of claim 1 wherein said magnetic material comprises a ceramic ferrite. 5. The multipole permanent magnet of claim 1 wherein said magnet is a quadrupole magnet. 6. The quadrupole magnet of claim 5 having four axial layers. 7. The quadrupole magnet of claim 5 wherein each axial layer comprises sixteen segments. 8. The quadrupole magnet of claim 5 wherein each segment is essentially rectangular in cross-sectional shape. 9. The quadrupole magnet of claim 5 wherein the direction of the easy axis of each segment in each layer is determined by the formula: EQU .alpha.=2.theta. 10. The quadrupole magnet of claim 9 further having four axial layers wherein each axial layer comprises sixteen segments and wherein said anisotropic magnetic material comprises a rare-earth cobalt material. 11. The quadrupole magnet of claim 10 wherein said rare earth cobalt material is samarium cobalt. 12. The quadrupole magnet of claim 9 further having four axial layers wherein each axial layer comprises sixteen segments and wherein said anisotropic magnetic material comprises a ceramic ferrite. 13. An adjustable strength multipole permanent magnet assembly comprising a multipole permanent magnet having a plurality of axial layers of magnetic material wherein one layer can be angularly displaced with respect to an adjacent layer and means connected to at least two adjacent axial layers for angularly displacing one layer with respect to the adjacent layer, each of said axial layers comprising a plurality of segments comprising an oriented, anisotropic, permanent magnet material arranged in a ring so that there is a substantially continuous ring of permanent magnet material, each segment having a predetermined easy axis orientation within a plane perpendicular to the axis of the magnet assembly. 14. The magnet assembly of claim 13 wherein said material comprises a rare-earth cobalt material. 15. The magnet assembly of claim 13 wherein said material comprises a ceramic ferrite. 16. The magnet assembly of claim 13 wherein said adjustable means comprises means for varying the aperture field strength to said magnet in an approximately linear manner. 17. The magnet assembly of claim 13 wherein said magnet is a quadrupole magnet. 18. The magnet assembly of claim 17 wherein the direction of the easy axis of each segment in each layer is determined by the formula: EQU .alpha.=2.theta. 19. The magnet assembly of claim 17 having four axial layers wherein each axial layer comprises sixteen segments wherein said anisotropic magnetic material comprises a rare-earth cobalt material. 20. The magnet assembly of claim 19 wherein said adjustment means comprises means for rotatably displacing the two outer layers of the magnet with respect to the two inner layers of the magnet. 21. An adjustable strength multipole permanent magnet assembly comprising a multipole permanent magnet having a plurality of axial layers of magnetic material wherein one layer can be angularly displaced with respect to an adjacent layer and means connected to at least two adjacent axial layers for angularly displacing one layer with respect to the adjacent layer, each of said axial layers comprising a plurality of segments comprising an oriented, anisotropic, permanent magnet material arranged in a ring so that there is a substantially continuous ring of permanent magnet material, each segment having a predetermined easy axis orientation within a plane perpendicular to the axis of the magnet assembly, said assembly having four axial layers wherein said adjustment means comprises means for rotatably displacing the two outer layers of the magnet with respect to the two inner layers of the magnet and wherein said adjustment means further comprises a rod moveable in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the magnet, a first lever arm connected at one end to the rod and at the other end to one outer axial layer of the magnet, a second lever arm connected at one end to the rod and at the other end to the two inner axial layers of the magnet, and a third lever arm connected at one end to the rod and at the other end to the other outer axial layer of the magnet so that upon inward movement of the rod, the two other axial layers of the magnet are rotatably displaced in one direction and the two inner axial layers of the magnet are displaced angularly in the opposite direction. 22. The magnet assembly of claim 21 wherein the angular displacement of the outer layers is equal to the angular displacement of the inner layers. 23. The magnet assembly of claim 21 wherein all of said lever arms are equal in length and said length is equal to the distance from the point of attachment of the arm to the axial layer to the axial center of the quadrupole. 24. A method for focusing a charged particle beam, said method comprising focusing said charged particle beam by passing the beam through the aperture of an adjustable strength multipole permanent magnet, said magnet comprising a plurality of axial layers of magnetic material wherein one layer can be angularly displaced with respect to an adjacent layer, each of said axial layer comprising a plurality of segments comprising an oriented, anisotropic permanent magnet material arranged in a ring so that there is a substantially continuous ring of permanent magnet material, each segment having a predetermined easy axis orientation within a plane perpendicular to the axis of the magnet. 25. The method according to claim 24 wherein said magnetic material comprises a rare earth cobalt material. 26. The method according to claim 25 wherein said rare earth cobalt material is samarium cobalt. 27. The method according to claim 24 wherein said magnetic material comprises a ceramic ferrite. 28. The method according to claim 24 wherein said magnet is a quadrupole magnet. 29. The method according to claim 28 wherein said magnet comprises four axial layers. 30. The method according to claim 28 wherein each axial layer comprises sixteen segments. 31. The method according to claim 28 wherein each segment is essentially rectangular in cross-sectional shape. 32. The method according to claim 28 wherein the direction of the easy axis of each segment in each layer is determined by the formula; EQU .alpha.=2.theta. 33. The method according to claim 32 wherein each axial layer comprises sixteen segments and wherein said anisotropic magnetic material comprises a rare-earth cobalt material. 34. The method according to claim 33 wherein said rare-earth cobalt material is samarium cobalt. 35. The method according to claim 32 wherein said anisotropic magnetic material comprises a ceramic ferrite. 36. A method for focusing a charged particle beam, said method comprising passing the beam through the aperture of an adjustable strength multipole permanent magnet assembly, said assembly comprising a multipole permanent magnet having a plurality of axial layers of magnetic material wherein one layer can be angularly displaced with respect to an adjacent layer and means connected to at least two adjacent axial layers for angularly displacing one layer with respect to the adjacent layer, each of said axial layers comprising a plurality of segments comprising an oriented, anisotropic, permanent magnet material arranged in a ring so that there is a substantially continuous ring of permanent magnet material, each segment having a predetermined easy axis orientation within a plane perpendicular to the axis of the magnet assembly. 37. The method in accord with claim 36 wherein said material comprises a rare-earth cobalt material. 38. The method in accord with claim 36 wherein said material comprises a ceramic ferrite. 39. The method in accord with claim 36 wherein said adjustable means comprises for varying the aperture field strength of said magnet in an approximately linear manner. 40. The method in accord with claim 36 wherein said magnet is a quadrupole magnet. 41. The method in accord with claim 40 wherein the direction of the easy axis of each segment in each layer is determined by the formula; EQU .alpha.=2.theta. 42. The method in accord with claim 40 wherein each axial layer comprises sixteen segments wherein said anisotropic magnetic material comprises a rare-earth cobalt material. 43. The method in accord with claim 42 wherein said adjustment means comprises means for rotatably displacing the two inner layers of the magnet with respect to the two inner layers of the magnet. 44. The method in accord with claim 43 wherein said adjustment means further comprises a rod moveable in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the magnet, a first lever arm connected at one end to the rod and at the other end to one outer axial layer of the magnet, a second lever arm connected at one end to the rod and at the other end to the two inner axial layers of the magnet, and a third lever arm connected at one end to the rod and at the other end to the other outer axial layer of the magnet so that upon inward movement of the rod, the two other axial layers of the magnet are rotatably displaced in one direction and the two inner axial layers of the magnet are displaced angularly in the opposite direction. 45. The method in accord with claim 44 wherein the angular displacement of the outer layers is equal to the angular displacement of the inner layers. 46. The method in accord with claim 44 wherein all of said lever arms are equal in length and said length is equal to the distance from the point of attachment of the arm to the axial layer to the axial center of the quadrupole.