Development of a specimen holder for in situ generation of pure in-plane magnetic fields in a transmission electron microscope

As the development of quantised storage media progresses, detailed knowledge is required about the magnetisation reversal behaviour of sub-micron sized magnetic structures in external magnetic fields. Using the Lorentz mode of transmission electron microscopy (LTEM) the magnetic microstructure of thin film samples can be imaged with high spatial resolution. A novel approach for in situ magnetising experiments is described which combines the development of a custom-made sample holder which generates two orthogonal in-plane components of magnetic field in the specimen plane with the benefit of computer-controlled variation of the field. We present a specimen stage suitable for a Philips CM30 Twin/LTEM, which allows the generation of well-defined magnetic in-plane fields in the TEM.