Local Photothermal Control of Phase Transitions for On-Demand Room-Temperature Rewritable Magnetic Patterning

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Controlled magnetic patterning is vital for magnetic memory, logic devices, and studying phenomena like magnon propagation.
• Existing methods for creating magnetic patterns often lack reconfigurability or require complex fabrication processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel approach for the repeated creation and erasure of arbitrary magnetic patterns in thin films.
• To demonstrate a strategy for dynamic magnetic structuring using bistable magnetic phases.

Main Methods:

• Utilized epitaxial Fe_0.52Rh_0.48 thin films exhibiting bistable ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases at room temperature.
• Employed local heating with a focused laser to induce phase transitions and write ferromagnetic patterns from an initial antiferromagnetic state.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated the ability to write arbitrary patterns of the ferromagnetic phase using laser-induced local heating.
• Showcased the reversibility of the process, allowing erasure of patterns by cooling below room temperature and subsequent re-patterning.

Conclusions:

• The developed technique offers a versatile and repeatable method for fabricating dynamic magnetic structures.
• This approach holds significant potential for applications in reconfigurable magnetic devices and advanced materials research.