Magnetoresistive measurement of switching behavior in nano-structured magnetic dot arrays

In the present study, geometrical and thermal effects in a mesoscopic magnetization reversal process have been studied on a novel nano-structure of magnetic relief dot with magnetoresistive measurements. Only the top layer of a substrate/CoPt(10 nm)/Cu(10 nm)/NiFe(6, 12 nm) film was structured into rectangular dots with various lengths (L) and widths (W) down to 0.2 μm. Coercive fields of NiFe relief dots (W = 0.2 μm) systematically decrease with the decrease of L/W, as predicted from demagnetizing factors in single domain particle. About 50% reduction of H_c due to a temperature rise, from 5 to 300 K, demonstrates considerable thermal activation in the magnetization reversal of nano-structured magnetic particles.