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We have developed an approach to prepare large array nanostructured thin films using polyethylene oxide assisted self-assembly of polystyrene nanospheres as a template. By tuning the antidot diameter in the cobalt thin films, we found a crossover behavior in the magnetization reversal process. In addition, the effective moment per cobalt atom turns out to drop with growing antidot diameter which effectively increases the surface to bulk volume fraction. Our results suggest a tendency of reduced saturation magnetization in a ferromagnet/normal metal interface, where the mixing of itinerant electrons with ferromagnetic d electrons can give rise to observable effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by a well-known fact that the magnetic coercivity of a thin film has a strong dependence on its thickness, we have fabricated a 5×60 μm and 30 nm thick cobalt (Co) strip with thickness modulation along its long axis. The modulation period of 700 nm with a depth of 8 nm was prepared by a focused ion beam. From magnetic force microscope images, we observed an induced magnetic anisotropy along the short axis of the strip. By comparing out-of-plane magnetoresistance measurements in two magnetic remnant states, we extracted a positive domain wall resistance of 0.03 Ω, corresponding to 0.14% magnetoresistance (MR) in a Co thin film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]