Search

In this work we study the magnetic properties of 4-nm-thick permalloy films deposited into flat elliptical holes with an aspect ratio of 2:1 and short axis ranging from 2000 down to 70 nm. The holes are patterned into 50- and 200-nm-thick SiO 2 dielectric by e-beam lithography. The magnetization switching characteristics of the embedded magnetic elements were probed by localized magneto-optical Kerr effect and magnetic force microscopy measurements. It is shown that the switching mode, field and distribution depend on the hole depth and very strongly on the element's size, especially when the short axis shrinks below 100 nm. The results are compared with micromagnetic simulations.

The feasibility of a stress sensor based on giant magneto-resistance (GMR) on a flexible polyimide substrate is presented. Therefore, a stack system with a GMR effect of up to 8.6 % has been deposited on a polyimide substrate and patterned to micrometer scaled sensor elements. An in-plane tensile stress was applied to the sensor to achieve a rotation of the anisotropy of the magnetostrictive free layer. The magneto-optical and magneto-resistive effect was measured. The stress dependence of the Co50Fe50 free-layer magnetization was measured up to an elongation of 2.5% in a CoFe/Cu/CoFe spin valve. The magneto-optical results are compared to the resistance loops of the sample. Furthermore, the normalized sensor output is shown as a function of the applied stress at several bias fields and at the remanent state.

This work investigates the spin-torque-related dynamics of nonuniform magnetic vortexlike states in spin-valve nanocontacts, employing an unpinned artificial antiferromagnet as polarizer and amorphous CoFeB as free layer. Subgigahertz spectra are obtained for contacts of 150–200 nm in diameter. Low critical current density and reversibility of the dynamic spectra with respect to the current are obtained. The spectral power and linewidth depend on the in-plane magnetic field, assuming maximum, respectively minimum, values within the free layer’s magnetization switching. For certain field and current windows metastable dynamic states are clearly demonstrated.