Magnetic properties of arrays of electrodeposited nanowires

The fabrication and magnetic properties of arrays of short nanowires are reviewed. The arrays consist of electrodeposited ferromagnetic cylinders with aspect ratios of up to 3 and diameters of 57–180 nm. Their hysteresis loops are characterized and their remanent states are related to the predictions of a three-dimensional micromagnetic model, which shows a transition from a single-domain ‘flower’ state to a lower-remanence ‘vortex’ state with increasing diameter. The shapes of the array hysteresis loops are governed by interactions between the particles. The switching fields of small Ni cylinders can be described using a dynamic micromagnetic model.