Fabrication and Characterization of Magnetic Nanostructures

Three classes of modern technological advances have greatly invigorated the investigation of magnetism: Heteroepitaxy — which enables the creation of entirely new types of crystalline magnetic alloys and ferromagnetic semiconductors, as well as the definition of extremely high quality interfaces between materials systemsMicro- and nanofabrication methods — that allow patterning ferromagnetic materials down to the dimensions of single domain magnetism and the definition of electrical devices exhibiting pronounced “spintronics” phenomenaMagnetic imaging — new methods that provide resolution of the local structural and magnetic properties of new materials and devices on the nanometer length scale. Concerted application of these advances now provides the capability to observe, control, and engineer magnetic phenomena at the nanoscale. This, in turn, is enabling the creation of entirely new magnetic materials and spintronic devices (Wolf et al. 2001; Prinz 1998).