Effect of horizontal magnetization reversal of the tips on magnetic force microscopy images.
The effect of magnetization reversal of magnetic force microscope (MFM) tips based on low coercive thin-films on MFM images has been studied both experimentally and theoretically. By analyzing the MFM images obtained on structures with high magnetic stray fields we show that during the imaging process the magnetic state of the probe is modified anisotropically: the horizontal component of the magnetization follows the external field, whereas the vertical component of the magnetization stays almost constant. The observed complex magnetic behavior of the tip is explained theoretically based on the shape anisotropy of the tip. The obtained results are important for interpretation of MFM images of structures with high magnetic moment. Moreover, these results can be used for characterization of both laboratory-made and commercially available MFM tips.
Materials and Condensed Matter Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Room 413, Kelvin Building, G12 8QQ Glasgow, UK; NT-MDT Co, Zelenograd, 124482 Moscow, Russia. Electronic address: alalrus@gmail.com.
Alexander
A
Alekseev
Anatoliy
A
Popkov
Andrey
A
Shubin
Feodor
F
Pudonin
Nikolay
N
Djuzhev
Magnetic force microscopy; Magnetic probe; Magnetization reversal