Arrays of magnetic nanoindentations with perpendicular anisotropy

The authors report an approach to the fabrication of periodic magnetic patterns using spherical indentations. These troughs are shaped by an imprint technique, employing a self-assembled monolayer of particles. Well-defined structures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are obtained by deposition of Co∕Pd multilayer films onto the topographic array. The structures formed in the indentations can be magnetically exchange decoupled from their neighbors depending critically on their specific shape. The presented concept leads to a realization of a magnetic nanostructure medium, which offers advances in achieving high pattern densities combining a low cost nanoimprint approach with material functionalization.