Reconfigurable three dimensional magnetic nanoarchitectures

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the fabrication and control of reconfigurable 3D nanomagnetic structures using FEBID, showing individual component magnetization reversal and tunable magnetic configurations for advanced applications.

Contribution

It introduces a method to locally control and reconfigure magnetization in 3D nanostructures fabricated by FEBID, combining experimental observation with micromagnetic simulations.

Findings

Individual component magnetization reversal in 3D Co3Fe tetrapods

Complete control of magnetic states by tuning external magnetic field

Successful integration of microscopy and simulations for analysis

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) nanomagnetism is a rapidly developing field within magnetic materials research, where exploiting the third dimension unlocks opportunities for innovative applications in areas such as sensing, data storage, and neuromorphic computing. Among various fabrication techniques, focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID) offers high flexibility in creating complex 3D nanostructures with sub-100 nm resolution. A key challenge in the development of 3D nanomagnets is the ability to locally control the magnetic configuration, which is essential to achieve desired functionalities. In this work, the magnetization reversal mechanism of a three-dimensional nanoarchitecture fabricated using focused electron beam-induced deposition is investigated by combining direct observation via scanning transmission X-ray microscopy with finite element micromagnetic simulations. In particular, our investigation shows that the magnetization of the components of a three-dimensional Co3 Fe tetrapod can be reversed individually and sequentially. Finally, it is demonstrated that complete control and reconfigurability of the system can be achieved by tuning the direction of the applied magnetic field.