Micromagnetic simulations of the domain structure and the magnetization reversal of Co50Ni50/Pt multilayer dots

The domain structure and the switching field of Co50 Ni50 /Pt multilayer dots, prepared by laser interference lithography,were micromagnetically simulated. The simulations were carried out with a three-dimensional simulation package, optimized for large-scale problems. The single-domain state is the lowest energy state for dots with a diameter below 75 nm. The switching field was computed by using suitable minimization techniques, and was used to analyze the effect of size, dot shape and edge defects.