Nanopatterning reconfigurable magnetic landscapes via thermally assisted scanning probe lithography

E. Albisetti, D. Petti, M. Pancaldi, M. Madami, S. Tacchi, J. Curtis, W. P. King, A. Papp, G. Csaba, W. Porod, P. Vavassori, E. Riedo, R. Bertacco

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The search for novel tools to control magnetism at the nanoscale is crucial for the development of new paradigms in optics, electronics and spintronics. So far, the fabrication of magnetic nanostructures has been achieved mainly through irreversible structural or chemical modifications. Here, we propose a new concept for creating reconfigurable magnetic nanopatterns by crafting, at the nanoscale, the magnetic anisotropy landscape of a ferromagnetic layer exchange-coupled to an antiferromagnetic layer. By performing localized field cooling with the hot tip of a scanning probe microscope, magnetic structures, with arbitrarily oriented magnetization and tunable unidirectional anisotropy, are reversibly patterned without modifying the film chemistry and topography. This opens unforeseen possibilities for the development of novel metamaterials with finely tuned magnetic properties, such as reconfigurable magneto-plasmonic and magnonic crystals. In this context, we experimentally demonstrate spatially controlled spin wave excitation and propagation in magnetic structures patterned with the proposed method.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)545-551
Number of pages7
JournalNature Nanotechnology
Volume11
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Bioengineering
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Materials Science(all)
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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