Modelling hysteresis of interacting nanowires arrays

Hysteresis loops of two-dimensional arrays of magnetic nanowires have been micromagnetically modelled. The calculations focus on magnetostatic interactions in addition to Zeeman and magnetic anisotropy energy terms. Starting from an ideally ordered hexagonal array, the generation of local disorder is first modelled and subsequently, hysteresis loops are calculated by Monte Carlo and iterative methods considering dipolar and higher-order multipole effects. The main conclusions of the modelling are: (i) distortion of the hexagonal ordering results in an increasing effective field to reach magnetic saturation while roughly maintaining coercivity, and (ii) an increase of the average distributed coercivity of individual nanowires gives rise to enhanced coercivity and anisotropy field. The results of these simulations are analysed in view of experimental loops of arrays of Ni nanowires filling nanoporous alumina membranes with different degrees of 2D-polycrystalline arrangement. After a careful analysis by image processing, it is concluded that fluctuations in the diameter and cross-section of individual nanowires play an important role in a deep correlation between modelled and experimental hysteresis loops. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.