Selected Applications
attoAFM I
Helimagnetic Phase of Fe 0.5 Co 0.5 Si
1µm
1µm
Real space imaging of exotic magnetic phases provides a level of understanding that
cannot be achieved with indirect techniques. The figure on the left shows one of
the first observations of a helimagnetic phase using the attoMFM I. The periodicity
of the stripes is around 100 nm. This phase is of particular interest because of its
proximity to a skyrmion phase. Skyrmions are exotic magnetic excitations, studied
extensively because of their potential use in spintronic applications. The measure-
ment was performed on a FeCo 0.5 Si 0.5 sample at 4 K using an attoMFM I in attocube
application labs.
(attocube application labs, 2013; sample courtesy of A. Bauer and C. Pfleiderer, Technical University of Munich,
Garching, Germany)
High Resolution MFM on Bit Patterned Media Co-Pd at 10 K
MFM measurement on Co-Pd dots with 50 nm diameter at 10 K using the
attoMFM I. The image demonstrates the high magnetic resolution achievable with
the attoMFM. Variations in magnetic field perpendicular to the surface allows
switching domains from one magnetic state to the other (here recorded at 6250 Oe).
For this measurement, the attoMFM was operated at constant height with the fre-
quency shift measured using a phase-locked loop.
1µm
(attocube application labs, 2010; sample courtesy of Hitachi Global Storage Solutions, San Jose, USA)
MFM on Superconducting Vortices in BSCCO
This measurement shows a dominantly hexagonally ordered Abrikosov votex
lattice, at a magnetic field of -40 Oe (the sample was field-cooled). The ori-
entation of the vortices with respect to the moment of the tip is indicated by
the color of the vortices: Bright colors indicate repulsive forces. The tip was
scanned in a constant height of about 30 nm above the surface of a freshly
cleaved piece of BSCCO-2212. Note that the applied field is much lower than the
coercitivity of the hardmagnetic tip (≈ 400 Oe),hence the orientation of the tip
moment is unchanged. Scan size is 10 x 10 μm², color span is 2 Hz.
(attocube applications labs, 2013; sample courtesy of A. Erb, TU Munich, Germany)