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Magnetic fine structure of domain walls in iron films observed with a magnetic force microscope.


R. Proksch, S. Foss, E. D. Dahlberg, G. Prinz
J. Appl. Phys. 75 p. 5776 (1994).

Abstract: The submicron magnetic structure of domain walls in a single-crystal iron film has been studied using a magnetic force microscope (MFM). The MFM tip was sensitized to the component of the field perpendicular to the film plane. The sample examined was a 500-nm-thick single-crystal film of iron, grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). Before it was imaged, the film was magnetized along its (in-plane) easy axis in a 2000-0e field. Studies of the domain structure at numerous locations on the film surface revealed a rich variety of micromagnetic phenomena. Parallel domain walls, determined to be Bloch walls with a width of 70-100 nm, were seen along the easy axis, spaced roughly 30 mu m apart. These appeared to be Bloch walls. Bloch lines were also observed in the walls with an average periodicity of 1.5 mu m. This is a value smaller than that predicted for Bloch wall-line structures. In addition, a pronounced zig-zag structure was observed, as expected from previous Fe whisker observations. (8 References).





last modified: 10.Jun.2002 by Thomas Gredig