Alberto Bollero

Accurate determination of the specific absorption rate in superparamagnetic nanoparticles under non-adiabatic conditions

We report on a general description of non-adiabatic calorimetry measurements for improving the accuracy on the determination of the specific absorption rate of superparamagnetic nanoparticles subjected to alternating magnetic fields. We perform experiments on reduced volumes of iron oxide nanoparticles dispersed in aqueous media under different thermal equilibrium conditions. We introduce a simple model, which considers linear thermal losses to precisely reproduce the complete time evolution of temperature. The control and the quantification of heat losses lead to higher accuracy for determining the specific absorption rate in superparamagnetic nanoparticles.

Room temperature in-plane ⟨100⟩ magnetic easy axis for Fe3O4/SrTiO3(001):Nb grown by infrared pulsed laser deposition

We examine the magnetic easy-axis directions of stoichiometric magnetite films grown on SrTiO{sub 3}:Nb by infrared pulsed-laser deposition. Spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy reveals that the individual magnetic domains are magnetized along the in-plane 〈100〉 film directions. Magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements show that the maxima of the remanence and coercivity are also along in-plane 〈100〉 film directions. This easy-axis orientation differs from bulk magnetite and films prepared by other techniques, establishing that the magnetic anisotropy can be tuned by film growth.We examine the magnetic easy-axis directions of stoichiometric magnetite films grown on SrTiO3:Nb by infrared pulsed-laser deposition. Spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy reveals that the individual magnetic domains are magnetized along the in-plane film directions. Magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements show that the maxima of the remanence and coercivity are also along in-plane film directions. This easy-axis orientation differs from bulk magnetite and films prepared by other techniques, establishing that the magnetic anisotropy can be tuned by film growth.

Tunable nanocrystalline CoFe2O4 isotropic powders obtained by co-precipitation and ultrafast ball milling for permanent magnet applications

Synthesis of nanocrystalline Co-ferrite powders with tunable magnetic properties is demonstrated by using co-precipitation and a novel ultrafast milling route. Milling times as short as a few minutes are reported for the first time to be sufficient to refine microstructure and to induce microstrain, and act efficiently, providing a 5-fold increase in coercivity. This is achieved with no compositional change during processing, but exclusively through microstructural modification. The efficiency of this process and its feasible scalability pave the way for development of Co-ferrite powders for permanent magnet applications.

Vectorial Kerr magnetometer for simultaneous and quantitative measurements of the in-plane magnetization components.

A vectorial magneto-optic Kerr effect (v-MOKE) setup with simultaneous and quantitative determination of the two in-plane magnetization components is described. The setup provides both polarization rotations and reflectivity changes at the same time for a given sample orientation with respect to a variable external magnetic field, as well as allowing full angular studies. A classical description based on the Jones formalism is used to calculate the setups properties. The use of different incoming light polarizations and/or MOKE geometries, as well as the errors due to misalignment and solutions are discussed. To illustrate the capabilities of the setup a detailed study of a model four-fold anisotropy system is presented. Among others, the setup allows to study the angular dependence of the hysteresis phenomena, remanences, critical fields, and magnetization reversal processes, as well as the accurate determination of the easy and hard magnetization directions, domain wall orientations, and magnetic anisotropies.

Direct experimental determination of the anisotropic magnetoresistive effects

We present an experimental study devoted to determine the magnetoresistive signals as imposed by the system magnetic anisotropy and applied current direction in a model ferromagnetic system. By having direct experimental access to the magnetization vector during the reversal (measured through angular- and field-dependent vectorial-resolved magnetization loops), we can predict both longitudinal and transverse magnetoresistive signals, i.e., anisotropic magnetoresistance and planar Hall effect. This has been done by experimentally disclosing the resistance changes occurring during (and simultaneously to) the magnetization reversal processes.

Towards high performance CoFe2O4 isotropic nanocrystalline powder for permanent magnet applications

We report on a comparative study of high performance isotropic cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) powder processed by dry and surfactant assisted (wet) ball milling. Milling times as short as 1.5 min (dry) and 6 min (wet) have resulted in a 4-fold increase in coercivity, with a maximum achieved value above 318 kA/m (4 kOe). The use of surfactant is shown to be advantageous in the formation of a more homogeneous structure constituted by non-agglomerated and strained nanoparticles. A record (BH)  max value of 18.6 kJ m  −3 (2.34 MGOe) has been obtained for isotropic powder after post-processing annealing. This magnetic performance combined with the required short processing times and the unnecessary requirement of oxygen avoidance in the milling process, makes this CoFe2O4 powder a good candidate for permanent magnet applications.

Note: Vectorial-magneto optical Kerr effect technique combined with variable temperature and full angular range all in a single setup

Here, we report on a versatile full angular resolved/broad temperature range/vectorial magneto optical Kerr effect (MOKE) magnetometer, named TRISTAN. Its versatility relies on its capacity to probe temperature and angular dependencies of magnetization reversal processes without the need to do any intervention on the apparatus during measurements. The setup is a combination of a vectorial MOKE bench and a cryostat with optical access. The cryostat has a motorized rotatable sample holder with azimuthal correction. It allows for simultaneous and quantitative acquisition of the two in-plane magnetization components during the hysteresis loop at different temperatures from 4 K up to 500 K and in the whole angular range, without neither changing magnet orientation nor opening the cryostat. Measurements performed in a model system with competing collinear biaxial and uniaxial contributions are presented to illustrate its capabilities.

Interfacial exchange-coupling induced chiral symmetry breaking of spin-orbit effects

This work was supported in part by the Spanish MINECO through Projects No. MAT2012-39308, No. FIS2013-40667-P, No. MAT2011-25598, and No. MAT2014-52477-C5-3-P, and by the Comunidad de Madrid through Project No. S2013/MIT-2850 (NANOFRONTMAG-CM). P.P. and A.B. acknowledge support through the Marie Curie AMAROUT EU Programme, and through MINECO “Juan de la Cierva” (JCI-2011-09602) and “Ramon y Cajal” contracts

Integration of Thick-Film Permanent Magnets for MEMS Applications

This paper presents a method of integrating thick permanent magnetic films into a microfabrication process. An enhanced binding method consisting of a hybrid of Parylene N and Parylene C thin films was used in conjunction with various types of NdFeB powders to create embedded permanent magnet films. A systematic study of composite magnetic powders was developed using three different powders in order to control intrinsic coercivities (Hci) and remanence (Br) properties. In addition, four types of dispensing methods were investigated. A liquid dispensing method demonstrated the highest fill factor (79%) for a 400-μm-thick film with an enhanced remanence value of 0.59 T. A range of remanence values from 0.2 to 0.59 T were developed by varying the concentration of multiple magnetic powders within the composite material. Validation of the integrated magnetic material into a microelectromechanical system device was demonstrated through a polymer on a silicon cantilever structure.

Emergence of the Stoner-Wohlfarth astroid in thin films at dynamic regime

The Stoner-Wohlfarth (SW) model is the simplest model that describes adequately the magnetization reversal of nanoscale systems that are small enough to contain single magnetic domains. However for larger sizes where multi-domain effects are present, e.g., in thin films, this simple macrospin approximation fails and the experimental critical curve, referred as SW astroid, is far from its predictions. Here we show that this discrepancy could vanish also in extended system. We present a detailed angular-dependent study of magnetization reversal dynamics of a thin film with well-defined uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, performed over 9 decades of applied field sweep rate (dH/dt). The angular-dependent properties display a gradual transition from domain wall pinning and motion-like behaviour to a nucleative single-particle one, as dH/dt increases. Remarkably, in the high dynamic regime, where nucleation of reversed domains is the dominant mechanism of the magnetization reversal (nucleative regime), the magnetic properties including the astroid become closer to the ones predicted by SW model. The results also show why the SW model can successfully describe other extended systems that present nucleative regime, even in quasi-static conditions.