Strong low temperature magnetoelastic effects in template grown Ni nanowires

Arrays of nickel nanowires embedded into polycarbonate membranes were studied by means of ferromagnetic resonance. Large magnetoelastic effects were evidenced in the entire temperature range 4.3-300 K, which were attributed to the thermal expansion coefficients mismatch between the Ni nanowires and the polycarbonate membrane. The resulting magnetoelastic energy was measured as a function of both membrane porosity and diameter of the nanowires. For low volume fractions of Ni in Ni/polycarbonate samples, the magnitude of the magnetoelastic anisotropy may be as high as the shape anisotropy. Conversely, no magnetoelastic effects were observed in permalloy nanowires embedded in the same membranes.