National Physical Laboratory

Nanomagnetism Nanomagnetism

A range of experimental techniques for measurements and visualisation of small magnetic fields/moments.


We have developed a range of experimental techniques for measurements and visualisation of small magnetic fields/moments. This includes:

  1. nano-SQUIDs allowing us to detect a magnetic particle with the moment down to 104 µB at 8K
  2. Ultra small Hall sensors with improved sensitivity allowing room-temperature detection of a magnetic bead with size of 120 nm and moment of ~107 µB
  3. Novel Hall sensors made of epitaxial graphene
  4. Domain wall-based magnetic sensors
  5. Advanced magnetic microscopy based on low-temperature magnetic force microscopy (MFM) for quantitative measurements of magnetic fields and magnetization distributions on the sub 50 nm scale
  6. Reference magnetic materials

People working on this project

External Collaborators

Recent Publications

  1. Unusual magnetism in templated NiS nanoparticles.
    L. Barry, J. D. Holmes, D. J. Otway, M. P. Copley, O. Kazakova, and M. A. Morris,
    J. Phys.: Condens. Matter. 22, 076001 (2010).
  2. Ultra-small particle detection using a nano-sized Hall sensor.
    O. Kazakova, V. Panchal, J. Gallop, P. See, D. C. Cox, M. Spasova, and L. F. Cohen,
    J. Appl. Phys. 107, 09E708 (2010).
  3. Effect of annealing on the microwave magnetoresistance of thin Ge0.96Mn0.04 films
    A. I. Dmitriev, R. B. Morgunov and O. L. Kazakova,
    Semiconductors, 44, 303 (2010).
  4. Magnetic nanoparticle detection using nano-SQUID sensors
    O. Kazakova, L. Hao, D. Cox, P. See, and J. Gallop,
    J. Phys. D. 43,  474004 (2010).
  5. Nonlinear spin-wave phenomena in [Mn{(R/S)-pn}2]2[Mn{(R/S)-pn}2H2O][Cr(CN)6] molecular ferrimagnet
    R. B. Morgunov, F. B. Mushenok and O. Kazakova,
    Phys. Rev. B. 82, 134439 (2010).
  6. Single particle detection: phase control in submicron Hall sensors
    L. Di Michele, C. Shelly, J. Gallop, and O. Kazakova,
    J. of Appl. Phys. 108, 103918 (2010).
  7. Detection of Single Magnetic Nanobead with a nano-SQUIDs
    L. Hao, J.C. Gallop, O. Kazakova, D. Cox, C.  Aßmann, F. Ruede, D. Drung, and Th. Schurig,
    Appl. Phys. Lett. 98, 092504 (2011).
  8. Single phase room temperature ferromagnetism in Mn implanted amorphous Ge
    L. Ottaviano, A. Continenza, G. Profeta, G. Impellizzeri, A. Irrera, R. Gunnella, O. Kazakova,
    Phys. Rev. B. 83, 134426 (2011). 
  9. Readout of NanoSQUID Sensors Using a SQUID Amplifier
    F. Ruede, S. Bechstein, L. Hao, C. Aßmann, Th. Schurig, J. Gallop, O. Kazakova, J. Beyer, and D. Drung,
    IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 21, 408 (2011).
  10. Detection and susceptibility measurements of a single Dynal bead
    L. Di Michele, C. Shelly, P. De Marco, P. See, J. Gallop, and O. Kazakova
    J. Appl. Phys. 110, 063916 (2011).
  11. Synthesis and Magnetic Characterization of Co-axial Ge1-xMnx/a-Si Heterostructures
    S. Barth, O. Kazakova, S. Estrade, R. G. Hobbs, F. Peiro, M. A. Morris, and J. D. Holmes,
    Crystal Growth & Design 11, 5253 (2011).
  12. Readout of NanoSQUID Sensors Using a SQUID Amplifier
    F. Ruede, S. Bechstein, L. Hao, C. Aßmann, Th. Schurig, J. Gallop, O. Kazakova, J. Beyer, and D. Drung
    IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 21, 408 (2011).
  13. Small Epitaxial Graphene Devices for Magnetosensing Applications
    V. Panchal, K. Cedergren, R. Yakimova, A. Tzalenchuk, S. Kubatkin, and O. Kazakova
    J. Appl. Phys., 111, 07E509 (2012).
  14. Modelling and optimization of submicron Hall sensors for the detection of superparamagnetic beads
    A. Manzin, V. Nabaei and O. Kazakova,
    J. Appl. Phys. 111, 07E513 (2012).
  15. Ferromagnetism in nanomesh graphene
    G. Ning, C. Xu, L. Hao, O. Kazakova, Z. Fan, H. Wang, K. Wang, J. Gao, W. Qian, and F. Wei
    Carbon, 51, 390 (2013).
  16. Epitaxial Graphene Sensors for Detection of Small Magnetic Moments
    V. Panchal , D. Cox , R. Yakimova , and O. Kazakova
    IEEE Trans. Mag., 49, 97 (2013).
  17. Optimization of Hall bar response to localized magnetic and electric fields
    V. Nabaei, R. Rajkumar, A. Manzin, O. Kazakova, and A. Tzalenchuk
    J. Appl. Phys., 113, 064504 (2013).
  18. Investigation of Material Effects With Micro-Sized SQUID Sensors
    S. Bechstein, A. Kirste, D. Drung, M. Regin, O. Kazakova, J. Gallop, L. Hao, D. Cox, and T. Schurig
    IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 23, 1602004 (2013).

Invited, keynote and international presentations

2013

  • Joint MMM-Intermag 2013, Chicago, USA, January 2013
    Oral talk: 3D mapping of sensitivity of epitaxial graphene Hall sensors to local magnetic and electrical fields
    Oral talk: Magnetic scanning probe calibration using a graphene Hall sensor

2012

  • University of Surrey, UK, May 2012
    Seminar
  • European Magnetic Sensors and Actuators Conference, July 2012, Prague, Czech Republic
    Oral talk: Epitaxial Graphene Hall Sensors for Detection of Small Magnetic Moments
  • Joint European Magnetic Symposia, September 2012, Parma, Italy
    Mapping sensitivity of a graphene Hall bar to local magnetic and electric fields
    Optimization of the response of Hall sensors to localized magnetic fields
  • MSNOW’12, les Houches, France, February 2012
    Oral talk: Multi-wall carbon nanotube bolometers: Towards detection of magnetic resonances of nanoscale objects
  • Intermag 2012, Vancouver, Canada, May 2012
    Oral talk: Magnetic Bead Detection with Epitaxial Graphene μSensors

2011

  • Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Trust, London, UK, February 2011
    Seminar: Functionalized magnetic nanoparticles in biology and nanomedicine
  • Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, April 2011
    Seminar: Magnetic biosensors: down to single particle detection
  • Intermag 2011, Taipei, Taiwan, May 2011
    Oral talk: Detection of a biofunctionalized magnetic label using phase-controlled Hall sensor
  • University of York, UK, May 2011
    Seminar
  • CSIC, Madrid, Spain, May 2011
    Seminar
  • Contemporary Materials 2011, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, July 2011
    Plenary talk: Detection of a single magnetic nanoparticle: metrological and biomedical applications
  • Bubble User Group. NPL, UK, July 2011
    Magnetic nanoparticles for diagnostics and therapy
  • MMM 2011, Scottsdale, AZ, November 2011
    Oral talk: Submicron Size Epitaxial Graphene Devices for Magnetosensing Applications
    Oral talk: Modelling and optimization of submicron Hall sensors for the detection of superparamagnetic beads
    Oral talk: Detection and Susceptibility Measurements of a Single Dynal Bead

2010

  • Joint MMM-Intermag 2010, Washington, DC, USA, January 2010
    Oral talk: Ultra-small particle detection using a submicron-sized Hall sensor
    Oral talk: Percolation ferromagnetism in Ge:Mn thin films
  • 7th ICFPM conference, Uppsala, Sweden, June 2010
    Invited talk: Detection of single magnetic particle using nano-Hall and nano-SQUID sensors
  • ISAF-ECAPD 2010, Edinburgh, UK, August 2010
    Plenary talk: Magnetic microscopy techniques
    Plenary talk: Magnetization measurements
  • Nano Molecular Analysis For Emerging Technologies (NMAET) IV, NPL, Teddington, UK, Nov 2010
    Oral presentation: Single particle detection: phase control in submicron Hall sensors
  • MMM 2010, Atlanta, USA, November 2010.
    Oral presentation: Single particle detection: phase control in submicron Hall sensors

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