Magnetic force microscopy in the presence of a strong probe field

Abstract

We describe a magnetic force microscopy (MFM) imaging approach in which we take advantage of the strong, localized magnetic field of the MFM probe to deterministically modify the magnetization of the sample. This technique enables quantitative mapping of sample magnetic properties including saturation magnetization and anisotropy, a capability not generally available using conventional MFM methods. This approach yields a fruitful theoretical analysis that accurately describes representative experimental data we obtain from an isolated permalloy disk.