Permalloy (Ni80Fe20) is broadly used to prepare magnetic nanostructures for high-frequency experiments where the magnetization is either excited by electrical currents or magnetic fields. Detailed knowledge of the material properties is mandatory for thorough understanding its magnetization dynamics. In this work, thin Permalloy films are grown by dc-magnetron sputtering on heated substrates and by thermal evaporation with subsequent annealing. The specific resistance is determined by van der Pauw methods. Point-contact Andreev reflection is employed to determine the spin polarization of the films. The topography is imaged by atomic-force microscopy, and the magnetic microstructure by magnetic-force microscopy. Transmission-electron microscopy and transmission-electron diffraction are performed to determine atomic composition, crystal structure, and morphology. From ferromagnetic resonance absorption spectra the saturation magnetization, the anisotropy, and the Gilbert damping parameter are determined. Coercive fields and anisotropy are measured by magneto-optical Kerr magnetometry. The sum of the findings enables optimization of Permalloy for spintronic experiments.

The confinement of spin waves in inhomogeneous fields and spin wave interaction with domain walls has attracted interest due to possible applications in magnonics. We investigate spin waves in curved ferromagnetic nanowires. The field dispersion and localization of spin waves is revealed by comparison to known modes in stripes and taking into account the specific field reversal of the curved wire. In small wires we find a strongly altered mode spectrum in a certain field regime. Micromagnetic simulations show an extended domain wall within the wire in this field region. The domain wall shows several dynamic modes and changes the remaining spin wave modes. We find mode suppression as well as newly arising modes due to the strong inhomogenous internal field of the wall.