Patterned ferrimagnetic thin films of spinel ferrites obtained directly by laser irradiation

Abstract

Some spinel ferrites can be oxidized or transformed at moderate temperatures. Such modifications werecarried out on thin films of mixed cobalt copper ferrites and maghemite, by heating small regions with alow-power laser spot applied for about 100 ns. The very simple laser heating process, which can be donedirectly with a conventional photolithographic machine, made it possible to generate two-dimensionalmagnetization heterogeneities in ferrimagnetic films. Such periodic structures could display the specificproperties of magneto-photonic or magnonic crystals.