Dipolar coupling in closely packed pseudo-spin-valve nanowire arrays

Abstract

A systematic study of the effects of lateral magnetostatic coupling of closely packed pseudo-spin-valve Ni80 Fe20 (10 nm) Cu (tCu) Ni80 Fe20 (80 nm) nanowire arrays with varied Cu film thicknesses is investigated. Nanowire arrays with a width of 185 nm and edge-to-edge spacings of 35 and 185 nm, respectively, were fabricated using deep ultraviolet lithography at 248 nm exposing wavelength. When the Cu spacer layer thickness is comparable to the edge-to-edge spacing of the closely packed wires, marked changes in the magnetization reversal process are observed for the nanowire array with edge-to-edge spacing of 35 nm, due to the competition between the dipolar coupling between the neighboring nanowires and interlayer magnetostatic coupling between the thick and thin Ni80 Fe20 layers. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.