Magnetic interactions within patterned cobalt nanostructures using off-axis electron holography

The magnetization reversal behavior of submicron-sized patterned Co elements has been studied using off-axis electron holography. Magnetic fields were applied to the samples in situ to determine both the hysteresis loops of individual elements and the interactions between closely spaced elements. The observations show that an understanding of the formation of remanent states is likely to be of particular importance for the design of magnetic elements for device applications.