Local modification of magnetic properties by an electron beam

Abstract

Magnetic anisotropies can be modified locally by intense electron beams with keV energy. In ultrathin epitaxial Co films grown on Pt(111), switching of the easy axis from parallel to perpendicular to the surface can be induced, and the domain size can be enlarged by one order of magnitude. © 1998 American Institute of Physics

Spinwaves in Laterally Confined Magnetic Structures

“…The ion beam irradiation technique takes advantage of a low-density displacement of atoms by light ion irradiation. The microscopic mechanism which causes the changes in the magnetic properties of a film by electron beam bombardment is still not clear [23,24]. Ion/electron-beam-induced magnetic patterning allows one to create adjoining regions with very different magnetic properties, such as perpendicular versus in-plane magnetization.…”

“…Very recently, ion beam [8,22] and electron beam [23] irradiation were used for patterning the magnetic properties of Co/Pt multilayers. The advantage of both techniques is that the patterning process does not affect the mesoand macroscopical roughness of the surface or the optical properties of the film.…”

Methods for preparing patterned media for high-density recording

“…Examples of direct writing are demonstrated by patterning magnetic layers with a focussed electron beam [20] and with a focussed ion beam [21]. In both cases the magnetic anisotropy of the magnetic material has locally been modified by electron bombardment respectively ion irradiation.…”

Manipulation of spin reorientation transition of ultrathin Co films by using an artificially roughened Pd(111) substrate

“…3, we present representative polar Kerr hysteresis loops of Co films prepared on roughened Pd͑111͒ substrates. 15 Therefore, in the case of = 80°where the step density is high enough and step edges are nearly parallel with each other, the step-induced in-plane anisotropy might exist with the easy axis parallel to the direction of the step edges. Inverse trends with increasing Co thickness were also observed in the longitudinal Kerr hysteresis loops, which imply that the SRT from normal-to-plane magnetization to in-plane magnetization occurred with increasing the Co thickness.…”