Correlated magnetic reversal in periodic stripe patterns

Magnetization reversal and magnetic interactions in patterned spin valve structures

“…This yields a small hysteresis of the y-component, which is quite unusual and indicates some permanent transverse magnetization component most likely due to canted moments. This may be due to the creation of ripple domains and correlations between the moments across the stripes as was recently already observed for CoFe stripes [8]. Rippling is a phenomenon known to occur in Co films ( [16]) and leads to an alternating canting of moments within the small domains and with respect to the applied field direction.…”

“…Rippling occurs over a large field range, possibly ranging from slightly negative fields towards fields somewhat larger than the coercive field for the ascending branch and similarly for the descending branch [8]. Most likely the small transverse hysteresis observed by MOKE for the field direction parallel to the stripes is connected with the rippling of the magnetization.…”

“…For functional use with high packing density both effects call for attention. In previous studies on Co nanowires, correlation effects during switching of the wires were observed [8]. The aim of this study is to extend these investigations to laterally pattern Co/Cr/Fe trilayers and to decide whether their switching behaviour is correlated or independent.…”

SuperADAM: Upgraded polarized neutron reflectometer at the Institut Laue-Langevin

“…Polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR) is mainly used for the investigation of magnetic thin films, 14 superconducting thin films, 15,16 magnetic domains in continuous superlattices, [17][18][19][20][21] or laterally micro-and nano-patterned multilayers. [22][23][24][25][26][27] A detailed account on polarized neutron reflectometry is available in recent reviews. 3,4,28 In the following we describe a new neutron reflectometer, SuperADAM, which has recently been built and commissioned at the high flux reactor of the Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France, replacing the earlier instrument ADAM operating for 12 years during 1996-2008.…”

Techniques de diffusion des neutrons en incidence rasante pour les nanosciences

“…Récemment la réflectivité des neutrons polarisés a été utilisée sur VCo 0.7 Fe 0.3 , un réseau de bandes ("stripes") magnétiques préparé par lithographie à jets d'électrons (electron beam lithography) et par des techniques de gravure ("etching") [6]. Comprendre l'interaction magnétique entre bandes voisines est important pour les applications en magnéto-électronique.…”