The fabrication approach of a magnonic crystal with a step-like hysteresis behavior based on a uniform non-monotonous iron layer made by shadow deposition on a preconfigured substrate is reported. The origin of the step-like hysteresis loop behavior is studied with local and integral magnetometry methods, including First-Order Reversal Curves (FORC) diagram analysis, accompanied with magnetic microstructure dynamics measurements. The results are validated with macroscopic magnetic properties and micromagnetic simulations using the intrinsic switching field distribution model. The proposed fabrication method can be used to produce magnonic structures with the controllable hysteresis plateau region's field position and width that can be used to control the magnonic crystal's band structure by changing of an external magnetic field.
Keywords: FORC-diagram analysis; magnetic anisotropy; magnetic microstructure; simulation.