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In-situ TEM studies of magnetization reversal processes in magnetic nanostructures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

Amanda K Petford-Long ,
Thomas Bromwich ,
Amit Kohn ,
Victoria Jackson ,
Takeshi Kasama ,
Rafal Dunin-Borkowski  and
Caroline A Ross
Amanda K Petford-Long
Affiliation:
petford.long@anl.gov, Argonne National Laboratory, Materials Science Division, 9700 S Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL, 60439, United States, 630 252 5480, 630 252 4289
Thomas Bromwich
Affiliation:
thomas.bromwich@trinity.ox.ac.uk, University of Oxford, Department of Materials, United Kingdom
Amit Kohn
Affiliation:
amit.kohn@materials.ox.ac.uk, University of Oxford, Department of Materials, United Kingdom
Victoria Jackson
Affiliation:
vicky.jackson@seh.ox.ac.uk, University of Oxford, Department of Materials, United Kingdom
Takeshi Kasama
Affiliation:
rafal.db@msm.cam.ac.uk, University of Cambridge, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, United Kingdom
Rafal Dunin-Borkowski
Affiliation:
red10@hermes.cam.ac.uk, University of Cambridge, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, United Kingdom
Caroline A Ross
Affiliation:
caross@mit.edu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Materials Science and Engineering Department, United States
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Abstract

One of the most widely studied types of magnetic nanostructure is that used in devices based on the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) or tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) phenomena. In order to understand the behaviour of these materials it is important to be able to follow their magnetisation reversal mechanism, and one of the techniques enabling micromagnetic studies at the sub-micron scale is transmission electron microscopy. Two techniques can be used: Lorentz transmission electron microscopy and off-axis electron holography, both of which allow the magnetic domain structure of a ferromagnetic material to be investigated dynamically in real-time with a resolution of a few nanometres. These techniques have been used in combination with in situ magnetizing experiments, to carry out qualitative and quantitative studies of magnetization reversal in a range of materials including spin-tunnel junctions, patterned thin film elements and magnetic antidot arrays. Quantitative analysis of the Lorentz TEM data has been carried out using the transport of intensity equation (TIE) approach.

Keywords

transmission electron microscopy (TEM)magneticfilm
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 907: Symposium MM – In-Situ Electron Microscopy of Materials , 2005 , 0907-MM04-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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