Patterned magnetic nanostructures and quantized magnetic disks

Nanofabrication, offering unprecedented capabilities in the manipulation of material structures and properties, opens up new opportunities for engineering innovative magnetic materials and devices, developing ultra-high-density magnetic storage, and understanding micromagnetics. This paper reviews the recent advances in patterned magnetic nanostructures, a fast-emerging field, including 1) state-of-the-art technology for patterning of magnetic nanostructures as small as 10 nm; 2) engineering of unique magnetic properties (such as domain structures, domain switching, and magnetoresistance) by patterning and controlling the size, shape, spacing, orientation, and compositions of magnetic materials; 3) quantized magnetic disks-a new paradigm for ultra-high-density magnetic storage based on patterned single-domain elements that have demonstrated a storage density of 65 Gb/in(2) (nearly two orders of magnitude higher than that in current commercial magnetic disks) and a capability of 400 Gb/in(2); 4) novel magnetoresistance sensors based on unique properties of magnetic nanostructures; 5) other applications of nanoscale patterning in magnetics such as the quantification of magnetic force microscopy (MFM), and a new ultra-high-resolution MFM tip; and 6) sub-10-nm imprint lithography-a new low-cost, high-throughput technology for manufacturing magnetic nanostructures.