Magnetic nanowires are considered among the most promising candidates for spintronic devices. Despite huge progress in the manufacturing process, nanowires still host magnetic non uniformities and defects that can cause major challenges for controlling their properties and optimizing their performances. Such inhomogeneities are extremely difficult to detect due to the small scale and their weak signals. Standard techniques have not been able to resolve them leaving such crucial aspect of the characterization unsolved.  

Thanks to its extremely high spatial resolution and sensitivity, Scanning NV Magnetometry enabled researchers from imec (Belgium) to quantitatively measure nanoscopic weak magnetic inhomogeneities in CoFeB ultra-scaled nanowires in ambient conditions.

Characterizing such small magnetic features enables tailoring and controlling spin and domain wall transport in many emergent spintronic devices. This work sets a pathway for a methodology to characterize ultraweak magnetic defects semiconductor devices using Scanning NV Magnetometry.

Read the full article in Nano Letters.

Image adapted from Nano Letters, 2021, 21, 24, 10409–10415, Publication Date: December 9, 2021