Probing submicron nanomagnets by magneto-optics

A hybrid magneto-optical magnetometer and optical microscope has been desig ned and constructed for probing the magnetic properties of submicron nanoma gnets. 10-nm-thick square nanomagnets have been fabricated individually and in small arrays from Ni80Fe14Mo5 ("supermalloy'') by electron-beam lithogr aphy. Hysteresis loops with a good signal-to-noise ratio have been obtained from individual nanomagnets as small as 400 nm and from (5 mu m)(2) arrays of nanomagnets ranging in size from 500 to 75 nm. (C) 1998 American Instit ute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98)03552-9].