title: Variable-field magnetic force microscopy.
abstract: A new variable external field magnetic force microscope is introduced here. The most outstanding feature of the system is its capability to perform stable images under a variable external magnetic field that can be applied both in in-plane and out-of-plane directions. The performances of the microscope are illustrated for four different suitable selected samples: highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, longitudinal magnetic storage media, FePt thin films with in-plane anisotropy and Ni nanowires with axial easy axis embedded on a ceramic matrix. The use of this variable-field magnetic force microscope as a magnetic writing-reading technique is also shown in this contribution.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jaafar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gómez-Herrero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ares
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asenjo