Abstract
Nanosecond pulsed two-beam laser interference is used to generate two-dimensional temperature patterns on a magnetic thin film sample. We show that the original domain structure of a [Co/Pd] multilayer thin film changes drastically upon exceeding the Curie temperature by thermal demagnetization. At even higher temperatures the multilayer system is irreversibly changed. In this area no out-of-plane magnetization can be found before and after a subsequent ac-demagnetization. These findings are supported by numerical simulations using the Landau–Lifshitz–Bloch formalism which shows the importance of defect sites and anisotropy changes to model the experiments. Thus, a one-dimensional temperature pattern can be transferred into a magnetic stripe pattern. In this way one can produce magnetic nanowire arrays with lateral dimensions of the order of 100 nm. Typical patterned areas are in the range of several square millimeters. Hence, the parallel direct laser interference patterning method of magnetic thin films is an attractive alternative to the conventional serial electron beam writing of magnetic nanostructures.
Highlights
Tailoring magnetic properties on a nanometer length scale is a necessary ingredient for most spintronic devices
Direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) which we implement here is (i) a one step production process which does not need any photoresist processing [1] and (ii) a parallel process which allows the processing of square millimeter samples with a single shot
We focus on the application of direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) on [Co/Pd] multilayer thin films which show a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy [6, 7]
Summary
Tailoring magnetic properties on a nanometer length scale is a necessary ingredient for most spintronic devices (e.g. magnetic random access memories or sensors). Direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) which we implement here is (i) a one step production process which does not need any photoresist processing [1] and (ii) a parallel process which allows the processing of square millimeter samples with a single shot. We focus on the application of DLIP on [Co/Pd] multilayer thin films which show a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy [6, 7]
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