Lee, WY Yao, CC Hirohata, A Xu, YB Leung, HT Gardiner, SM McPhail, S Choi, BC Hasko, DG Bland, JAC 2024-01-21T14:11:54Z 2024-01-21T14:11:54Z 2021-09-01 2000-03-15 0021-8979 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/141503 The magnetization reversal process in permalloy (Ni80Fe20) wire junction structures has been investigated using magnetoresistance (MR) measurements and scanning Kerr microscopy. A combination of electron beam lithography and a lift-off process has been utilized to fabricate wires consisting of two 200 mu m length regions with distinct widths w(1) and w(2) in the range 1-5 mu m. Longitudinal MR measurements and magneto-optic Kerr effect hysteresis loops demonstrate that the magnetization reversal of the complete structure is predominantly determined by the wider region for fields applied parallel to the wire axis. Magnetic force microscopy and micromagnetic calculations show that several domain walls nucleate in the wider part and are trapped in the junction area. This implies that domain nucleation at the junction of the wire initiates magnetization reversal in the narrow half. As a consequence, the switching fields are found to be identical in both halves in this case. These results suggest the possibility of designing structures which can be used to "launch" reverse domains in narrow wires within a controlled field range. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)01306-2]. English AMER INST PHYSICS MAGNETIC-STRUCTURES ELEMENTS MAGNETORESISTANCE FABRICATION END Domain nucleation processes in mesoscopic Ni80Fe20 wire junctions Article 10.1063/1.372295 1 JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, v.87, no.6, pp.3032 - 3036 JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS 87 6 3032 3036 scie scopus 000085531400057 Physics, Applied Physics Article MAGNETIC-STRUCTURES ELEMENTS MAGNETORESISTANCE FABRICATION END domains nucleation process mesoscopic structures Ni80Fe20