Study of inter-dot coupling in nano-patterned permalloy dots array

We present a series of studies on interdot coupling in the nanometer-scaled permalloy dots array. A standard electron beam lithography in conjunction with lift-off process was employed for patterning 30 nm thick of millions of permalloy dots array with diameter (D) of 500 nm and the aspect ratio S/D of spacing (S) to diameter ranging from 0.2 to 1.25. The magnetization reversal processes were identified to evolve through the vortex nucleation, movement, and annihilation based on magnetic force microscopy (MFM) imaging in the presence of external magnetic fields. The nucleation field, annihilation field, and moving rate of vortex core were analyzed using M-H loops measured by the alternating gradient magnetometer (AGM). These behaviors are associated with the dipole-dipole interaction in dots array with various interdot spacings.