The magnetic vortex nucleation process in nanometer- and micrometer-sized magnetic disks undergoes several phases with distinct spin configurations called the nucleation states. Before formation of the final vortex state, small submicron disks typically proceed through the so-called C-state while the larger micron-sized disks proceed through the more complicated vortex-pair state or the buckling state. This work classifies the nucleation states using micromagnetic simulations and provides evidence for the stability of vortex-pair and buckling states in static magnetic fields using magnetic imaging techniques and electrical transport measurements. Lorentz Transmission Electron Microscopy and Magnetic Transmission X-ray Microscopy are employed to reveal the details of spin configuration in each of the nucleation states. We further show that it is possible to unambiguously identify these states by electrical measurements via the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect. Combination of the electrical transport and magnetic imaging techniques confirms stability of a vortex-antivortex-vortex spin configuration which emerges from the buckling state in static magnetic fields.

We report on experimental and computational investigations of the domain structure of single-crystal Ni nanowires (NWs). The ∼200×200×8000nm3 Ni NWs were grown by a thermal chemical vapor deposition technique that results in single-crystal structures. Magnetoresistance measurements of individual NWs suggest the average magnetization points largely off the NW long axis at zero field. X-ray photoemission electron microscopy images obtained at room temperature show a well-defined periodic magnetization pattern along the surface of the nanowires with a period of λavg=239±37nm. Finite element micromagnetic simulations reveal that when the material parameters of the modeled system match those of nickel crystal at T=10K, an oscillatory magnetization configuration with a period closely matching experimental observation (λ=222nm) is obtainable at remanence. This magnetization configuration involves a periodic array of alternating chirality vortex domains distributed along the length of the NW. Vortex formation is attributable to the relatively high cubic anisotropy of the single crystal Ni NW system at T=10K and its reduced structural dimensions. The periodic alternating chirality vortex state is a topologically protected metastable state, analogous to an array of 360° domain walls in a thin strip. Simulations show that other remanent states are also possible, depending on the field history. At room temperature (T=273K), simulations show vortices are no longer stable due to the expected reduced cubic anisotropy of the system, suggesting a disparity between the fabricated and modeled nanowires. Negative uniaxial anisotropy and magnetoelastic effects in the presence of compressive biaxial strain are shown to promote and restore formation of vortices at room temperature.

Dynamic switching of the vortex circulation in magnetic nanodisks by fast-rising magnetic field pulse requires annihilation of the vortex core at the disk boundary and reforming a new vortex with the opposite sense of circulation. Here we study the influence of pulse parameters on the dynamics and efficiency of the vortex core annihilation in permalloy (Ni80Fe20) nanodisks. We use magnetic transmission soft x-ray microscopy to experimentally determine a pulse rise time-pulse amplitude phase diagram for vortex circulation switching and investigate the time-resolved evolution of magnetization in different regions of the phase diagram. The experimental phase diagram is compared with an analytical model based on Thiele's equation describing high-amplitude vortex core motion in a parabolic potential. We find that the analytical model is in good agreement with experimental data for a wide range of disk geometries. From the analytical model and in accordance with our experimental finding we determine the geometrical condition for dynamic vortex core annihilation and pulse parameters needed for the most efficient and fastest circulation switching. The comparison of our experimental results with micromagnetic simulations shows that the micromagnetic simulations of "ideal" disks with diameters larger than ∼250 nm overestimate nonlinearities in susceptibility and eigenfrequency. This overestimation leads to the core polarity switching near the disk boundary, which then in disagreement with experimental findings prevents the core annihilation and circulation switching. We modify the micromagnetic simulations by introducing the "boundary region" of reduced magnetization to simulate the experimentally determined susceptibility and in these modified micromagnetic simulations we are able to reproduce the experimentally observed dynamic vortex core annihilation and circulation switching.