Switching field distribution of ultradense arrays of single-crystalline magnetic nanowires

Ultradense arrays of magnetic nanoelements present considerable interest for extending areal densities in magnetic recording media, provided that they display high switching fields and corresponding low standard deviations. Here, we report the switching field distribution of bottom-up synthesized single-crystalline vertical Co nanowires self-organized in 2D hexagonal superlattices. The combined shape and Co hexagonal compact magnetocrystalline anisotropies in individual nanowires of diameter as small as 6 nm define a robust perpendicular magnetic anisotropy despite important interactions in superlattices of 10 x 10(12) NWs/in(2). Using quantitative analysis of temperature-dependent first-order reversal curves, we capture the switching field distribution in this dipolar-coupled perpendicularly magnetized nanomagnets. First, the interwire dipolar interactions are treated separately and show a dominant mean field character with temperature independent amplitudes that scale with the nanowire packing fraction. Then, the intrinsic switching field distribution, namely, independent of interwire interactions, is determined as a function of temperature in the 5-300 K range. The mean value and deviation are both found to be driven by the intrawire dipolar interaction and the temperature-dependent uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy, but of smaller amplitudes than those expected from bulk behavior. With coercive fields ranging between 0.3 and 0.8 T, the switching field deviations relative to coercivity reach 20%, which is a moderate value regarding pitch arrays as small as 8 nm.