Revealing magnetic domain structure in functional Fe2.5Zn0.5O4 wires by transmission electron microscopy

The magnetic and crystallographic microstructures in Fe2.5Zn0.5O4 (FZO) wires fabricated using nano-imprint lithography, pulsed laser deposition and a molybdenum lift-off mask technique were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A process using a focused ion beam completely separated the FZO wires from the insulating MgO substrate, and accordingly allowed in-depth TEM studies of the domain structures. Observations using energy-filtered TEM demonstrated good crystallinity of the FZO wires. Both Lorentz microscopy and electron holography studies revealed unexpectedly small magnetic domains (∼100 nm or smaller) due to a significant interaction with antiphase boundaries. The role of antiphase boundaries on the functionalities observed in the constrained wires (e.g., nonlinear I–V characteristics and large magnetoresistance) is discussed on the basis of these microscopic observations.