Imaging of magnetic fields at the nanoscale
Projected magnetic induction maps © V. Boureau | 2021 EPFL
Thanks to the technique developed by CIME scientist, Dr. Victor Boureau, magnetic induction fields can be mapped at the nanometric scale with high sensitivity using transmission electron microscopy.
The measurement of magnetic and electric fields at the nanoscale is essential for various fields of technological innovation, such as spintronics or microelectronics.
In this study, scientists from different institutions collaborated to develop a new technique for quantitative mapping of these fields, namely pixelated differential phase contrast. This transmission electron microscopy technique has been compared to state-of-the-art electron holography measurements and is found to be more sensitive. The stray field generated by a magnetic nanowire (NiFe) was used to demonstrate these measurements.
V. Boureau, M. Staňo, J.-L. Rouvière, J.-C. Toussaint, O. Fruchart and D. Cooper, High-sensitivity mapping of magnetic induction fields with nanometer-scale resolution: comparison of off-axis electron holography and pixelated differential phase contrast, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 51, 2021, DOI: 10.1088/1361-6463/abc77d