Top-down control of dynamic anisotropy in permalloy thin films with stripe domains

TLDR: In this paper, the authors used a vector network analyzer ferromagnetic resonance (VNA-FMR) technique to measure the anisotropy variation of permalloy films.

Abstract: Permalloy films with different thickness were prepared for comparison, and the dynamic properties of the stripe domains were investigated by using a vector network analyzer ferromagnetic resonance (VNA-FMR) technique. A top-down approach was used to control the thickness of the films. In the measurement of permeability spectra, an applied magnetic field H app was employed parallel and perpendicular to the stripe domains, respectively. Dynamic pseudo-uniaxial anisotropy fields are derived. In order to explain the anisotropy variation of permalloy films, a theoretical model has been proposed, and the result shows that the pseudo-uniaxial anisotropy can be attributed to the contributions of saturation magnetization, exchange interaction, perpendicular anisotropy, and film thickness. In addition, with the increase of H app, the stripe domains gradually rotate towards the direction of the applied field, which can be clearly observed by magnetic force microscopy. Moreover, the dynamic permeability spectra exhibit a rhythmic variation dependent on the rotation of the stripe domains, i.e. the relationship between the rotational stripe domains and resonance frequency.