Vortex state and effect of anisotropy in sub-100-nm magnetic nanodots

Abstract

Magnetic properties of Fe nanodots are simulated using a scaling technique and Monte Carlo method, in good agreement with experimental results. For the 20-nm-thick dots with diameters larger than 60nm, the magnetization reversal via vortex state is observed. The role of magnetic interaction between dots in arrays in the reversal process is studied as a function of nanometric center-to-center distance. When this distance is more than twice the dot diameter, the interaction can be neglected and the magnetic properties of the entire array are determined by the magnetic configuration of the individual dots. The effect of crystalline anisotropy on the vortex state is investigated. For arrays of noninteracting dots, the anisotropy strongly affects the vortex nucleation field and coercivity, and only slightly affects the vortex annihilation field.