Abstract
Lithographically patterned magnetic elements may be the basic structural units of future quantized magnetic disks and nanoscale magnetic sensors. A hybrid finite element/boundary element method is developed, in order to solve the Gilbert equation of motion for an array of interacting magnetic elements. The calculated time evolution of the magnetic domain structure provides further understanding regarding how structural properties like the element shape or the polycrystalline microstructure influence the magnetization reversal mechanism. Small-scale zig-zag domains experimentally observed in NiFe element have to be attributed to a transverse anisotropy. In bars with one pointed end, the formation of the domains starts from the flat ends. Narrow elements with a width smaller than 200 nm remain in a nearly single domain state. Pointed ends suppress the formation of domains and thus increase the switching field by about a factor of two in Co elements. The polycrystalline microstructure and edge irregularities significantly affect the magnetization reversal mechanism of small Co elements.
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