Magnetic structure of a single-crystal hcp electrodeposited cobalt nanowire

Abstract

We report on the magnetic and structural properties of an individual 40 nm diameter magnetic nanowire, prepared by electrodeposition into anodic alumina templates. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and the X-ray diffraction reveal the monocrystalline hcp structure along the whole 10 μm nanowire length with the c-axis almost perpendicular to the nanowire axis. This observation allows the understanding of magnetic properties of the nanowire. The magnetic state observed by magnetic force microscopy and modelled by micromagnetic simulations is interpreted as consisting of tilted vortices with alternating chiralities.