Title :
Rotation and wall propagation in multidomain Co/Pd islands
Author :
Hu, G. ; Thomson, T. ; Rettner, C.T. ; Terris, B.D.
Author_Institution :
San Jose Res. Center, Hitachi Global Storage Technol., San Jose, CA, USA
Abstract :
Patterned magnetic structures with sizes ranging from 30 nm to 5 μm have been fabricated to investigate the magnetization reversal of Co/Pd islands with perpendicular anisotropy. The nucleation field for reversal in islands capable of supporting a multidomain ground state (size ranging from 200 nm to 5 μm) is higher than the domain wall propagation field and is characterized by a Stoner-Wohlfarth-like angle dependence. Pre-reversed nucleation sites in the islands leads to the 1/cos(θ) switching behavior indicative of domain wall motion.
Keywords :
cobalt alloys; discontinuous metallic thin films; magnetic anisotropy; magnetic domain walls; magnetisation reversal; nanostructured materials; palladium alloys; spin dynamics; 0.2 to 5 micron; Co-Pd; Stoner-Wohlfarth-like angle dependence; domain wall; magnetization reversal; multidomain islands; patterned magnetic structures; perpendicular anisotropy; rotation propagation; wall propagation; Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Magnetic domain walls; Magnetic domains; Magnetic field measurement; Magnetic films; Magnetic force microscopy; Magnetic multilayers; Magnetization reversal; Stationary state; USA Councils; Domain wall propagation; magnetization reversal; patterned magnetic nanostructure; perpendicular anisotropy;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TMAG.2005.854733