title: Magnetic interactions in compositionally modulated nanowire arrays.
abstract: Series of high hexagonally ordered compositionally modulated nanowire arrays, with different Cu layer and FeCoCu segment thicknesses and a constant diameter of 35 nm, were fabricated by electroplating from a single electrolytic bath into anodic aluminum oxide membranes. The objective of the study was to determine the influence of ferromagnetic (FM) segment and non-ferromagnetic (NFM) layer thickness on the magnetic properties, particularly coercivity and magnetic interactions. First-order reversal curve (FORC) measurements and simulations were performed to quantify the effect of the inter-/intra-nanowire magnetostatic interactions on the coercivity and interaction field distributions. The FORC coercivity increases for a thick NFM layer and long FM segments due to decoupling of the the FM segments and the increased shape anisotropy, respectively. On the other hand, the interaction field presents a parallel strong reduction for a thick NFM layer and thin FM segments, which is ascribed to a similar NFM/FM thickness ratio and degree of FM segment decoupling along the nanowire.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Science of Madrid, CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ester M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Palmero
authors.forename: Fanny
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Béron
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bran
authors.forename: Rafael P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Del Real
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vázquez