Tailoring The Magnetization Reversal In Antidot Nanostructures Using Lithographically Engineered Inhomogeneities

We report on tailoring the magnetization reversal mechanism in engineered permalloy antidot nanostructures by lithographically introducing inhomogeneities in the form of neighboring antidots with alternate dimensions. We observed that the magnetic domain configurations are significantly altered when compared to homogeneous antidots due to the dissimilar size of adjacent antidots. The reversal process also is strongly influenced by the relative difference in the size of adjacent antidots and the thickness of the permalloy film. Our results have been further corroborated by micromagnetic simulations and low temperature measurements. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3537948]