The activated torsion oscillation magnetometer (ATOM): a new high sensitivity magnetometer for thin films

Abstract We propose a torsion magnetometer for magnetic thin films exploiting the mechanical resonance of a cantilever beam. It is driven by the torque exerted on the sample by an AC field applied perpendicularly to the film plane. Sensitivities of the order of 0.5×10−11 A m2 can be in principle achieved. We describe the first experimental set-up and discuss test experiments.