Dynamic Magnetic Properties of Ferroic Films, Multilayers, and Patterned Elements

Modification and control of material properties through careful manipulation of geometry on nano- and sub-nanometer length scales is a cornerstone of modern materials science and technology. An exciting area in which these concepts have provided exceptional advances has been magnetoelectronics and nanomagnetism. Important scales in magnetic metals are conduction spin diffusion lengths and distances over which local moments correlate. Advanced techniques now allow for the creation of structures patterned on these length scales in three dimensions. The focus of this article is on magnetic structures whose dynamic properties can be strongly modified by ion bombardment and lithographic patterning. Examples are given of how microwave frequency properties can be tuned with external fields, how factors controlling magnetic switching can be controlled, and how manipulation of magnetic domain walls can be used to reveal new and surprising phenomena.