Nanosized magnetization measurement of an isolated Co–Fe circular dot using a MFM tip

Abstract We used our newly proposed measurement method, which employs a magnetic force microscopy (MFM) tip as a detector, to investigate the magnetic state of an isolated Co–Fe dot. As the magnetic field is changed from positive to negative or vice versa, the phases (stray fields) change for all points within the dot that are perpendicular to the magnetic filed. In particular, a sharp jump is observed at the edge of the dot. These results are attributed to the movement of the vortex core in the dot and the annihilation of the vortex core in the dot edge.