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J. Fidler:
"Magnetization reversal processes in magnetic nanostructures";
Talk: Seminar Institut für Allgemeine Physik (IAP), TU Wien; 2004-05-25.

Studying the magnetization reversal processes of nanostructured magnetic devices, such as magnetic recording heads and media, micro-sensors based on the switching of magnetic thin films and future magnetic random access memory cells has become a very attractive field of research. The interpretation of experimental results of the switching behaviour is mostly based on numerical micromagnetic simulations.
We discuss our recent results concerning the influence of the granular microstructure on the fast switching processes of typical CoCrPtx, FePt and CoPd thin films used for high density magnetic recording with longitudinal and perpendicular anisotropy. In detail, we will show that the degree of the exchange coupling between neighbouring grains, the Gilbert damping parameter and the grain size and its distribution finally control the magnetization reversal properties and demonstrate that new and fascinating mesoscopic effects are predicted by solving the Landau-Lifshitz Gilbert equation in the framework of finite element micromagnetics.