title: Influence of the shape and surface oxidation in the magnetization reversal of thin iron nanowires grown by focused electron beam induced deposition.
abstract: Iron nanostructures grown by focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) are promising for applications in magnetic sensing, storage and logic. Such applications require a precise design and determination of the coercive field (H C), which depends on the shape of the nanostructure. In the present work, we have used the Fe2(CO)9 precursor to grow iron nanowires by FEBID in the thickness range from 10 to 45 nm and width range from 50 to 500 nm. These nanowires exhibit an Fe content between 80 and 85%, thus giving a high ferromagnetic signal. Magneto-optical Kerr characterization indicates that H C decreases for increasing thickness and width, providing a route to control the magnetization reversal field through the modification of the nanowire dimensions. Transmission electron microscopy experiments indicate that these wires have a bell-type shape with a surface oxide layer of about 5 nm. Such features are decisive in the actual value of H C as micromagnetic simulations demonstrate. These results will help to make appropriate designs of magnetic nanowires grown by FEBID.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA) - Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.|Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.|CEMES-CNRS 29, rue Jeanne Marvig, B.P. 94347, F-31055 Toulouse Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA) - Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.|Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lorenz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deen
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA) - Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.|Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Córdoba
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA) - Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.|Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.|Fundación ARAID, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magén
authors.affiliation: CEMES-CNRS 29, rue Jeanne Marvig, B.P. 94347, F-31055 Toulouse Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Snoeck
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koopmans
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA) - Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.|Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.|Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón (ICMA), Universidad de Zaragoza-CSIC, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: De Teresa
keywords: coercive field; focused electron beam induced deposition; iron nanowires; magnetization reversal; magneto-optical Kerr effect; transmission electron microscopy