A novel magnetic force microscope probe design

A new theoretical electromagnetic probe for the magnetic force microscope (MFM) is presented here. The magnetic field intensity normal to the probe, H_z(Oe), has been modeled. The reciprocity principle was used to obtain the force acting on the sample due to the probe field when scanned over a magnetic specimen. Thus, images of specimen magnetic distribution were created by the convolution of the distribution and the probe´s gradient field. These show that in the case of perpendicular magnetization the new probe was successful. However, in longitudinal magnetization there was an image artifact problem. The practical use of the new probe is discussed, and future work outlined