Fabrication and magnetic properties of Fe100-xPdx nanowire arrays

Fe100-x Pd-x nanowire arrays with different compositions have been fabricated in anodic aluminum oxide templates by electrodeposition. Around x = 30, the nanowire arrays still show rather high coercivity (7.48 kA/m) and axial anisotropy. But increasing the Pd content to x = 50, the magnetization easy axis is tuned to be perpendicular to the nanowires. It is attributed to the discontinuous magnetic layer being separated by non-ferromagnetic sheets grown in the Fe50Pd50 nanowires, such that the shape anisotropy overturns the easy axis. The formation of the laminated structure in Fe50Pd50 nanowires has been discussed based on the growth kinetics.