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One dimensional (1D) magnetic nanowires show unique magnetic behaviors, such as large coercivity and high remanence, in comparison to the bulk and thin film materials. Here, planar arrays of Co nanowires, nanorods and nanoparticles were fabricated from thin Co films by a nanosecond pulsed laser interference irradiation technique. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and surface magneto-optic Kerr effect (SMOKE) techniques were used to study the individual and average magnetic properties of the nanostructures. Magnetic domain orientation was found to depend on the in-plane aspect ratio of the nanostructure. The magnetic orientation was out-of-plane for in-plane aspect ratio ranging from 1 to 1.4 and transitioned to an in-plane orientation for aspect ratios greater than 1.4 (such as in nanorods and nanowires). Our results also showed that polycrystalline Co nanowires showed much higher coercivity and remanence as compared to bulk and thin film materials, as well as shapes with smaller aspect ratio. This result was attributed mainly to the shape anisotropy. This study demonstrated that nanosecond pulsed laser synthesis is capable of fabricating various nanostructures in a simple, robust and rapid manner and SMOKE is a reliable technique to rapidly characterize such magnetic nanostructures.

Controlling the magnetic orientation of nanoparticles is important for many applications. Recently, it has been shown that single domain ferromagnetic hemispherical Co nanoparticles prepared by nanosecond laser-induced self-organization, show magnetic orientation that was related to the negative sign of the magnetostrictive coefficient λ S [J. Appl. Phys. v103, p073902, 2008]. Here we have extended this work to the Fe 50 Co 50 alloy, which has a positive λ S and Ni, which has a negative λ S . Patterned arrays of ferromagnetic nanoparticles of Fe 50 Co 50 , Ni, (and Co) were synthesized from their ultrathin metal films on SiO 2 substrate by nanosecond laser-induced self-organization. The morphology, nanostructure, and magnetic behavior of the nanoparticle arrays were investigated by a combination of electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and magnetic force microscopy techniques. Transmission electron microscopy investigations revealed a granular polycrystalline nanostructure, with the number of grains inside the nanoparticle increasing with their diameter. Magnetic force measurements showed that the magnetization direction of the hemispherical Co and Ni nanoparticles was predominantly out-of-plane while those for the Fe 50 Co 50 alloy was in the plane of the substrate. Finite element analysis was used to estimate the average residual strain in the nanoparticles, following laser processing. The difference in behavior is due to the dominating influence of magnetostrictive energy on the magnetization as a result of residual thermal strain following fast laser processing. Since λ S is negative for polycrystalline Co and Ni, and positive for Fe 50 Co 50 , the tensile residual strain forces the magnetization direction to out-of-plane and in-plane, respectively. This work demonstrates a cost-effective non-epitaxial technique for the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles with tailored magnetization orientations.

Ion implantation followed by thermal processing has been used to synthesize nanoparticles of cobalt–platinum (Co–Pt) alloys in single-crystal Al2O3. Several phases, including CoPt in the L10 structure, Co3Pt, and CoPt3 that has the L12 structure, are selectively formed by varying the atomic ratio of implanted Co and Pt. These alloys are crystallographically oriented with respect to the host Al2O3 matrix, exhibiting multiple distinct orientations. Rutherford backscattering and X-ray diffraction have been used to study the influence of the processing conditions, including temperature and dose, on the formation of the alloys. The degree of chemical ordering in the L10 and L12 phases is not high and it is not improved significantly with long annealing times. Magnetization studies have been conducted using a SQUID magnetometer. Coercivities as high as 14.2 kOe (9.7 kOe) at 5 K with the field normal (parallel) to the surface have been measured, and they remain significant at room temperature and above. The coercivity is a function of the Pt fraction in the alloy.