Magnetic properties of bimetallic Au/Co nanoparticles prepared by thermal laser treatment

The irradiation of metallic films by a nanosecond pulsed laser leads to a self-assembly of nanoparticle arrays. This method has been used to prepare bimetallic Au/Co nanoparticles on a SiO$_{2}$ substrate. The microstructure and morphology of the bimetallic nanoparticles have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It has been shown that the bimetallic nanoparticles have a hemispherical shape with a single-crystal structure and an average size of $\sim$50 nm. The magnetic properties of these nanoparticles have been examined using a vibrating-sample magnetometer in the transverse and longitudinal directions. It has been found that the direction of the magnetization of the bimetallic nanoparticles lies in the plane of the substrate, and the coercive forces in the transverse and longitudinal directions differ by 25%. The use of the vibrating-sample magnetometer method makes it possible to investigate the differences in the magnetic saturations and the coercive forces of an array of bimetallic nanoparticles on a large surface area. The performed investigations have demonstrated that the anisotropic nanomagnetic materials with the desired magnetic orientation can be easily and quickly prepared by means of thermal laser treatment.