Systematic study of the magnetization reversal in patterned Co and NiFe Nanolines

Abstract

We report a universal dependence of switching field of patterned magnetic nanolines as a function of the linewidth for Co and NiFe films of various thicknesses. This dependence is shown to be consistent with a nucleation picture in which the magnetization reversal is controlled only by a small nucleus equivalent to a particle with an aspect ratio of 1.25, which spreads across the width of the nanoline. Micromagnetic simulation, taking into account of the edge roughness, agrees well with the observed results.