Tunable magnetic properties of metal ceramic composite thin films

We have developed a novel thin film processing method based upon pulsed laser deposition to process nanocrystalline magnetic materials with accurate size and interface control. Using this method, single domain nanocrystalline Fe and Ni particles in 5–10 nm size range embedded in amorphous as well as crystalline alumina have been produced. Magnetization measurements of these layered thin films as function of field and temperature were carried out using a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. The size of Fe and Ni nanodots measured using transmission electron microscopy and calculated using magnetic data are in excellent agreement with each other.