Fabrication and domain imaging of iron magnetic nanowire arrays

Arrays of magnetic nanowires are fabricated by using a corrugated surface, produced by chromium atoms laser-focused in a one-dimensional standing wave, as a shadow mask for an iron evaporator. The deposited iron forms a periodic array consisting of thousands of 20–40 nm high ferromagnetic lines with width of ∼100 nm, spaced every 213 nm, and having aspect ratios (width:length) of 1:1500. Images of the magnetic domain structures of these nanowires are obtained by scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysis. Elongated domains ∼100 nm wide and ∼16 μm long are observed.