Magnetic behavior of NiCu nanowire arrays: Compositional, geometry and temperature dependence

Journal Article · Mon Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4890358· OSTI ID:22308480

Bran, C.; Real, R. P. del; Vázquez, M. ^[1]; Magén, C. ^[2]

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1. Institute of Materials Science of Madrid, CSIC, Madrid 28049 (Spain)
2. Advanced Microscopy Laboratory (LMA), Institute of Nanoscience of Aragón (INA)-ARAID and Department of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50018 (Spain)

Arrays of Ni{sub 100−x}Cu{sub x} nanowires ranging in composition 0 ≤ x ≤ 75, diameter from 35 to 80 nm, and length from 150 nm to 28 μm have been fabricated by electrochemical co-deposition of Ni and Cu into self-ordered anodic aluminum oxide membranes. As determined by X-ray diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy, the crystalline structure shows fcc cubic symmetry with [111] preferred texture and preferential Ni or Cu lattice depending on the composition. Their magnetic properties such as coercivity and squareness have been determined as a function of composition and geometry in a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer in the temperature range from 10 to 290 K for applied magnetic fields parallel and perpendicular to the nanowires axis. Addition of Cu into the NiCu alloy up to 50% enhances both parallel coercivity and squareness. For the higher Cu content, these properties decrease and the magnetization easy axis becomes oriented perpendicular to the wires. In addition, coercivity and squareness increase by decreasing the diameter of nanowires which is ascribed to the increase of shape anisotropy. The temperature dependent measurements reflect a complex behavior of the magnetic anisotropy as a result of energy contributions with different evolution with temperature.

• OSTI ID: 22308480
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 116, Issue 3; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
ANISOTROPY
COERCIVE FORCE
COPPER COMPOUNDS
DEPOSITION
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
FCC LATTICES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETIZATION
NANOWIRES
NICKEL COMPOUNDS
QUANTUM WIRES
SYMMETRY
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
VIBRATING SAMPLE MAGNETOMETERS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION