(American Institute of Physics, 1996-07-01) Gomez, R. D.; Shih, M. C.; New, R. M. H.; Pease, R. F. W.; White, R. L.
The magnetic characteristics of 0.230.430.02 mm3 cobalt islands were investigated using magnetic
force microscopy in the presence of an applied field. The islands were noninteracting and showed
a wide variety of single and multidomain configurations. The distribution of magnetization
directions supports earlier models which suggest that crystalline anisotropy plays a dominant role in
establishing a dispersion of easy axis directions about the long axis of the particles. The magnetic
evolution, involving rotation and switching of individual islands, was observed at various points
along the microscopic magnetization curve. A magnetization curve of an ensemble of islands was
derived from the images and compares remarkably well with macroscopic M–H measurements.
