CIC nanoGUNE in the ScienTec 2011 Calendar
The Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) image of multi-domain states in interacting ferromagnetic nano-islands, which was obtained by Ph.D. student Jose Mª Porro from the nano-magnetism group under the direction of Paolo Vavassori, the group’s co-leader, has been selected amongst many entries to illustrate the 2011 calendar of ScienTec, one of the most important European suppliers of ultrahigh-resolution scanning probe microscopes.
This micrograph illustrates single and vortex magnetization states in a checkerboard-like array of nano-magnets subjected to competing dipolar interactions. This type of magnetic nanostructure is presently the focus of many scientific studies since it provides a model system for the study of frustration phenomena, which are of crucial relevance for developing an understanding of disorder in matter. In addition, understanding the interactions between closely spaced nano-magnets subjected to competing interactions is also most relevant for present and future applications, such as ultrahigh density memories for data storage and magnetic quantum-dot cellular automata systems.
