Magnetic vortex crystal formation in the antidot complement of square artificial spin ice

We have studied ferromagnetic nickel thin films patterned with square lattices of elongated antidots that are negative analogues of square artificial spin ice. Micromagnetic simulations and direct current magnetic moment measurements reveal in-plane anisotropy of the magnetic hysteresis loops, and the formation of a dense array of magnetic vortices with random polarization and chirality. These multiply-connected antidot arrays could be superior to lattices of disconnected nanodisks for investigations of vortex switching by applied electric current.