Magnetization reversal in ferromagnetic Fibonacci nano-spirals

Nanostructured ferromagnetic materials are applicable in a broad range of technologies, especially in the areas of data storage and spintronics. In addition, special structures are of high interest in basic research, aiming at understanding magnetization reversal processes on the nano-scale and thus possibly creating new applications. The strong influence of the shape anisotropy in magnetic nanoparticles enables tailoring magnetization reversal processes by the shape of such a particle. Typically, symmetrical structures are investigated, such as nano-dots, doughnuts, squares, rectangles, etc. Here we report on spiral nano-structures with constantly varying bending radii, modelled according to the Fibonacci spiral which is well-known from diverse plants and biological processes and also related to many mathematical problems. The magnetic Fibonacci nano-spirals with a thicker and a thinner lateral structure size as well as a mirrored form, building a heart-like shape, show large numbers of steps in the hysteresis loops, corresponding to stable intermediate states, due to nucleation and annihilation of domains which do not propagate along the spirals. The numbers of these stable intermediate states which could be utilized for data storage as well as the coercive fields depend strongly on the spiral dimensions and the orientation of the external magnetic field. Simulating minor loops showed the high stability of the intermediate states and thus underlined the possibility to use such structures for data storage.