Magnetic properties of Fe₂₀ Ni₈₀ antidots: Pore size and array disorder

Magnetic properties of nanoscale Fe₂₀Ni₈₀ antidot arrays with different hole sizes prepared on top of nanoporous alumina membranes have been studied by means of magnetometry and micromagnetic simulations. The results show a significant increase of the coercivity as well as a reduction of the remanence of the antidot arrays, as compared with their parent continuous film, which depends on the hole size introduced in the Fe₂₀Ni ₈₀ thin film. When the external field is applied parallel to the antidots, the reversal of magnetization is achieved by free-core vortex propagation, whereas when the external field is applied perpendicular to the antidots, the reversal occurs through a process other than the coherent rotation (a maze-like pattern). Besides, in-plane hysteresis loops varying the angle show that the degree of disorder in the sample breaks the expected hexagonal symmetry.