Temperature dependence of the domain structure in Fe14Nd2B single crystals during the spin-reorientation transition

• Published in: Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials Vol. 174; no. 3; pp. 278 - 288
• Main Authors: Pastushenkov, Yu.G., Forkl, A., Kronmüller, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.10.1997
• Subjects: Domain structure; Magnetic-phase transition; Permanent magnet; Single crystal; Magnetic-phase transition; Domain structure; 75.60.C; 75.50.Vv; 75.70Kw; Permanent magnet; 75.30.Gw; Single crystal
• ISSN: 0304-8853
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-8853(97)00198-4

The temperature dependence of the magnetic domain structure of Fe14Nd2B single crystals is investigated from room temperature down to 4.2 K by means of the magneto-optical Kerr effect. The parallel stripe domain structure characteristic of high-anisotropy uniaxial ferromagnets is observed on the (h k 0) planes of the crystals at room temperature. This structure remains practically unchanged down to about 140 K. In the vicinity of the magnetic phase transition at TSR = 135 K the domain structure undergoes intense realignment. Below TSR a new type of domain structure occurs being characterized by a periodic modulation of the magnetization orientation inside the main domains together with a developed system of closure domains having different preferential orientations. For the particular sample studied the width of the main domains at 4.2 K is about 100 μm, while that of closure domains is about 2–5 μm.