Regensburg 2010 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 31: Surface Magnetism / Magnetic Imaging II

MA 31.14: Talk

Thursday, March 25, 2010, 18:45–19:00, H23

Iron filled carbon nanotubes - Novel high resolution high stability probes for quantitative magnetic force microscopy — •Wolny Franziska, Weißker Uhland, Mühl Thomas, Lipert Kamil, Vock Sylvia, Schumann Joachim, Leonhardt Albrecht, and Büchner Bernd — IFW Dresden, Helmholtzstraße 20, 01069 Dresden

Iron filled carbon nanotubes (FeCNT) exhibit various outstanding properties that make them ideal candidates for the application as magnetic force microscopy (MFM) probes [1]. An Fe-CNT contains a single domain single crystalline iron nanowire of 20-30 nm diameter and several microns length. The carbon shell around the ferromagnetic core inhibits its oxidation and makes the Fe-CNT mechanically very stable. This ensures a much longer probe lifetime compared to coated MFM probes. The high aspect ratio leads to MFM images with a high resolution. Furthermore, due to the large shape anisotropy the magnetization direction of the nanowire remains aligned with the nanotube axis and thus perpendicular to the sample surface even in parallel external magnetic fields exceeding 250 mT. For the calibration of these MFM probes, the point probe model can be applied with very good agreement [2]. The long iron nanowire can be regarded as an extended dipole of which only the monopole closest to the sample surface interacts with the sample stray field. Thus, the determination of the probe's monopole moment enables quantitative MFM.

[1] Wolny et al., JAP 104, 064908 (2008)

[2] Lohau et al., JAP 86(6), 3410 (1999)