Magnetization reversal and coercivity of magnetic-force microscopy tips

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 2001 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1368872· OSTI ID:40203725

Carl, A; Lohau, J; Kirsch, S; Wassermann, E F

An experimental technique is presented that allows determining the magnetization reversal and coercivity of magnetic-force microscopy (MFM) tips. An {Omega}-shaped current carrying gold ring with a radius of 2400 nm fabricated by electron-beam lithography and a lift-off technique is charged with a constant current in order to produce a magnetic stray field in the z direction that is detected by MFM. While an oscillating MFM tip is continuously raster scanned across the center of the current ring, an external magnetic field is applied in the z direction and increased in magnitude in order to reverse the tip magnetization during imaging. Thus, the corresponding changes in the measured image contrast exclusively describe the magnetization reversal and coercivity of the particular part of the tip that is used for imaging. We have investigated commercially available thin-film tips and we find that the hysteresis loops measured with MFM may be significantly different as compared to hysteresis loops measured by means of superconducting quantum interference magnetometry on the respective magnetic tip coatings of the same tip. {copyright} 2001 American Institute of Physics.

• Sponsoring Organization: (US)
• OSTI ID: 40203725
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 89; ISSN 0021-8979
• Publisher: The American Physical Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COATINGS
GOLD
HYSTERESIS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIZATION
MICROSCOPY
PHYSICS