The role of the crystal orientation (c-axis) on switching field distribution and the magnetic domain configuration in electrodeposited hcp Co-Pt nanowires

In this report, Co-Pt nanowires (NWs) were produced via potentiostatic electrodeposition into commonly used commercial ordered-alumina and disordered-polycarbonate membranes with similar pore diameters (≈200 nm). The pore diameter of the membranes and the deposition conditions were chosen such that the Co-Pt NWs fabricated into both membranes had a hexagonal close packed (hcp) crystal structure with a crystallographic texturing of the c-axis in the direction perpendicular to the NWs' long axis; this effect was more pronounced in the alumina membranes. Due to the local fluctuation in electrodeposition conditions (pore diameter, pore shape), we have found a small variation in the c-axis orientations in the plane perpendicular to the NWs' long axis. Magnetic characterizations suggested that there is uniaxial anisotropy perpendicular to the Co-Pt NWs' long axis and the small variation in the orientation of the hcp c-axis plays an important role in the switching-field distribution and the magnetic domain structure of the Co-Pt NWs. First order reversal curves (FORCs) revealed week magnetostatic interactions between Co-Pt NWs, thus suggesting that the different pore alignments are not influencing much the magnetic properties in both membranes. The micromagnetic simulation revealed that the transverse-stripe (TS) and longitudinal stripe (LS) domains are energetically most favorable structures in such NWs. This study accentuates the influence of the crystal orientation (c-axis) of the high-anisotropy materials on their functional magnetic properties and thus is of great importance for the fabrication of nanodevices based on such NWs.This work was funded by the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) under project number PR-04442 and funding from Communidad de Madrid under project Nanofrontmag S2103/MIT-2850. M P Proenca acknowledges FCT for grant SFRH/BPD/84948/2012 supported by funding POPH/FSE