Engineering Magnetic Anisotropy in Permalloy Films via Atomic Force Nanolithography.

[en] Atomic force nanolithography provides a precise method for sculpting magnetic thin films, enabling controlled engineering of magnetic anisotropy in soft ferromagnets at the microscale. We demonstrate that nanoscale groove arrays patterned into permalloy ( Ni80Fe20) films induce a robust in-plane uniaxial anisotropy, with the easy axis aligned along the groove direction. The effective anisotropy field is shown to increase with decreasing groove period and increasing engraving depth, offering continuous tunability of magnetic hardness within a single fabrication step. Artificially engraved microstructures further allow domain configurations and domain-wall trajectories to be directed along predefined pathways, exemplified by the creation of a chessboard-like magnetic landscape. Owing to its adaptability to diverse ferromagnetic materials and arbitrary corrugation geometries, this approach provides a versatile platform for tailoring in-plane magnetic anisotropy. Concrete applications are demonstrated in the design of magnonic elements and anisotropic magnetoresistance sensors.

Disciplines :

Physics

Author, co-author :

Naik, Abhishek ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials (CESAM)

Delforge, Cyril ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Quantum Materials (Q-MAT)

Lejeune, Nicolas ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Physique expérimentale des matériaux nanostructurés

Stoffels, Daniel ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Quantum Materials (Q-MAT)

Van de Vondel, Joris ; Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan Leuven, Belgium

Temst, Kristiaan ; Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan Leuven, Belgium ; imec, Kapeldreef 75, Leuven, Belgium

Silhanek, Alejandro ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Physique expérimentale des matériaux nanostructurés

Fourneau, Emile ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Physique expérimentale des matériaux nanostructurés

Language :

English

Title :

Engineering Magnetic Anisotropy in Permalloy Films via Atomic Force Nanolithography.

Publication date :

17 March 2026

Journal title :

Small

ISSN :

1613-6810

eISSN :

1613-6829

Publisher :

Wiley, Germany

Pages :

e14880

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/smll.202514880

Funders :

FRIA - Fonds pour la Formation à la Recherche dans l'Industrie et dans l'Agriculture
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique
FWO - Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen
COST - European Cooperation in Science and Technology
KU Leuven - Catholic University of Leuven
MSMT - Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy České republiky

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since 20 March 2026

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