Tuning the angular dependence of the switching field of thin film nanomagnets

Thin film nanomagnets show promise for a wide range of applications, such as in computing, data storage, sensors, and biomedical devices. Elongated single-domain nanomagnets are bistable, with the magnetization of its two stable states pointing in opposite directions along its long axis. We can switch the magnetization between the bistable states of the nanomagnet by applying an external field. Here, we investigate the switching characteristics of single-domain nanomagnets of different shapes, sizes, and aspect ratios, both in simulation and in experiment. We use a phenomenological approach to describe the angle dependence of the field required to switch the nanomagnets from one bistable state to the other. Our simulations and experimental results correspond well, and show that precise tuning of the angular switching characteristics is possible in a number of different ways. Such tuning of switching characteristics on a single-magnet level unlocks intriguing possibilities in nanomagnet device design, and could further pave the way for a variety of new nanomagnet-based technologies.