Method for Assembling Nanosamples and a Cantilever for Dynamic Cantilever Magnetometry

The use of ultrasoft cantilevers gives dynamic cantilever magnetometry (DCM) unique capabilities and sensitivity to probe magnetization processes in individual microscopic samples. However, to date, DCM has been applied mostly to wire-shaped samples, because no universal method is yet available for assembling nanosamples and a cantilever. Here we report a sample-transfer method that allows DCM to be applied to individual nanostructures without imposing any particular shape requirements. The method uses a dual-beam system of a focused ion beam and a scanning electron microscope and a nanomanipulator. We demonstrate the proposed method by measuring the magnetization process of a cobalt microdisk, a CoFe2O4 nanopyramid, and a nonmagnetic sample. The use of the proposed method allows the application of DCM to be extended to the study of the magnetic properties of individual nanosamples of arbitrary shape.