Physicists engrave nanoscale magnets directly into layer of material
Monday, November 23, 2015 - 10:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Miniaturization is the magic word when it comes to nanomagnetic devices intended for use in new types of electronic components. Scientists from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have proposed the use of ion beams for their fabrication. An ultra-fine beam consisting of around 10 neon ions suffices to bring several hundred atoms of an iron-aluminum alloy into disarray and thereby generate a nanomagnet embedded directly in the material. A special holographic technique is used on a transmission-electron microscope (TEM) at the TU Dresden which shows the magnetic field lines and therefore helps measuring the precise dimensions of these nanoscale magnets. The scientists report on their experiments in the journal Scientific Reports.