Dresden 2003 – scientific programme

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MA: Magnetismus

MA 27: Spinstrukturen und magnetische Phasenüberg
änge

MA 27.4: Talk

Thursday, March 27, 2003, 16:00–16:15, HSZ/405

Magnetization reversal via formation of stripe domains in ultrathin films of Fe/Cu(100) — •G. Meyer, T. Crecelius, I. Mauch, A. Bauer, and G. Kaindl — Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin-Dahlem

In vicinity of spin-reorientation transitions in ultrathin films, magnetization reversal takes place via formation of stripe domains with sub-µm width [1,2]. Imaging of such domains requires high-resolution microscopy that can be operated in external magnetic fields. There are only a few studies [3,4], and none of those was performed in variable magnetic fields. We have recently been able to image stripe domains in low-temperature grown Fe/Cu(100) in situ by means of a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) operated in UHV, at variable temperature, and in the presence of magnetic fields. Magnetic contrast arises from the magneto-optical Kerr effect, which was measured by a Sagnac interferometer [5]. The observed stripe widths are in good agreement with theory [1,2]. By applying external magnetic fields, we observe both nucleation and growth of domains. The transformation of the domain phase occurs in a non-continuous way due to pinning of stripes. Our study also highlights the potential of magneto-optical SNOM for future studies of magnetization dynamics with high spatio-temporal resolution.

[1] Y. Yafet, E. Gyorgy, Phys. Rev. B 38, 9145 (1988).

[2] A. Berger, R. Erickson, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 165, 70 (1997).

[3] R. Allenspach, A. Bischof, Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 3385 (1992).

[4] H.J. Choi et al., Phys. Rev. B. 66, 014409 (2002).