Magnetic switching of nanoscale antidot lattices

We investigate the rich magnetic switching properties of nanoscale antidot lattices in the 200 nm regime. In-plane magnetized Fe, Co, and Permalloy (Py) as well as out-of-plane magnetized GdFe antidot films are prepared by a modified nanosphere lithography allowing for non-close packed voids in a magnetic film. We present a magnetometry protocol based on magneto-optical Kerr microscopy elucidating the switching modes using first-order reversal curves. The combination of various magnetometry and magnetic microscopy techniques as well as micromagnetic simulations delivers a thorough understanding of the switching modes. While part of the investigations has been published before, we summarize these results and add significant new insights in the magnetism of exchange-coupled antidot lattices.Web of Science775073

Ferromagnetic resonance line width in magnetic films as a function of temperature

Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) experiment is considered for the case of a constant field applied in plane of a thin film. Role of temperature is investigated by replacing the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation by the Landau-Lifshitz-Bloch approach. Two important FMR parameters are evaluated: the resonance field and the line width. Although the resonant field has to be calculated numerically, a well working approximating expression is given. In the case of the line width, an analytical formula is obtained. Both the resonance field and the line width grow exponentially with temperature in the whole temperature range. The magnitude of the FMR line broadening is estimated by checking different conditions (microwave frequency and damping) for permalloy showing that increase of temperature from 0% to 90% of the Curie temperature increases the line width roughly by a factor of two.Web of Science11717art. no. 17E30

Fast vortex core switching at high temperatures

Fast ferromagnetic vortex core switching is investigated employing micromagnetic simulations. Short pulse (in the range of a few hundreds of picoseconds) of an in-plane oscillating magnetic field is applied to a thin disk (diameter 200 nm and thickness 20 nm) with material parameters resembling permalloy. Fundamental frequency of this excitation field is close to the resonance with the material spin waves. Thermal effects are introduced by replacing the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation by the Landau–Lifshitz–Bloch equation. Temperature from 300 K to 850 K is considered, just below the Curie temperature TC = 870 K. Calculations are done within the oommf simulation framework. We find that: (i) Period of the field necessary to switch the vortex increases approximately from 141 ps at 300 K to 572 ps for the high-temperature limit. (ii) Amplitude of the field necessary to switch the vortex core decreases roughly from 60 mT to 15 mT – even at high temperatures this amplitude is nonzero, contrary to the case of quasi-static switching. (iii) Time span between the excitation and switching (switching time) seems not to depend on the temperature. (iv) Duration of the switching itself (movement of the Bloch point in the sample) increases from a few picoseconds at low temperatures to tens of picoseconds at high temperatures.Web of Science41111

Fast Vortex Core Switching at Moderate Temperatures

Full Text PDFFerromagnetic vortex core switching is investigated using micromagnetic simulations. For that the OOMMF program is used together with a temperature extension we have developed recently. This is a continuum micromagnetic approach, where the well-known Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation (valid for zero temperature) is replaced by the Landau-Lifshitz-Bloch equation. In our research we simulate switching of a ferromagnetic vortex core in a flat disk (diameter 200 nm, thickness 20 nm) with material parameters that resemble permalloy. Temperatures in the range 400 K to 700 K are considered. Switching itself is caused by application of a very short oscillating magnetic pulse. Parameters used resemble conditions met in the experiment: oscillation period 141 ps (equal to the peak width) and amplitude 60 mT. Surprisingly, no large temperature- or discretization dependence is found. Reasons for that are discussed

Ferromagnetic vortex core switching at elevated temperatures

An approach for the investigation of vortex core switching is presented. Thermal effects up to the Curie point are included in a micromagnetic framework based on the recently developed Landau-Lifshitz-Bloch equation. In this approach it is easier to avoid numerical discretization artifacts, commonly present when a Bloch point is mediating the switching process. Switching in thin circular permalloy disks caused by the application of a slowly increasing magnetic field oriented orthogonally to the disk is considered. An energy barrier which can be overcome by thermal fluctuations is taken into account, leading to a strong influence of the temperature on the switching field. In particular, the switching field goes to zero at a significantly smaller temperature than the Curie temperature. The deduced nucleation volume is smaller than the typical grain size in permalloy.Web of Science891art. no. 01442

Origin of steps in magnetization loops of martensitic Ni-Mn-Ga films on MgO(001)

We study the temperature dependent magnetization properties of (010)-oriented Ni-Mn-Ga epitaxial films on MgO(001) substrates. In the martensitic phase, we observe pronounced abrupt slope changes in the magnetization loops for all studied samples. Our experimental findings are discussed in conjunction with the micromagnetic simulations, revealing that the characteristic magnetization behavior is governed solely by the magnetization switching within the specific martensitic variant pattern, and no reorientation of twin variants is involved in the process. Our study emphasizes the important role of the magnetostatic interactions in the magnetization behavior of magnetic shape memory alloy thin films.Web of Science10913art. no. 13240

Raman spectroscopy of NdFeO3 at pressures up to 11 GPa

We report the theoretical and experimental study of evolution of the first-order Raman-active phonons in NdFeO3 with pressure up to 11 GPa at room temperature. With non-polarized light, we have observed 10 Raman-active modes. Our study confirmed no structural phase transition in the studied pressure range. We have calculated that weighted average Grüneisen parameter is ⟨γ⟩  = 1.19.Web of Science35217517