Ultrahigh vacuum magnetic force microscopy: domain imaging on in situ grown Fe(1 0 0) thin films

• Published in: Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials Vol. 190; no. 1; pp. 124 - 129
• Main Authors: Memmert, U., Leinenbach, P., Lösch, J., Hartmann, U.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.12.1998; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Domain effects, magnetization curves, and hysteresis; Domain structure; Domain walls and domain structure; Exact sciences and technology; Magnetic force microscopy; Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetic properties of monolayers and thin films; Magnetic properties of surface, thin films and multilayers; Metals. Metallurgy; Physics; 75.60.Ch; 61.16.Ch; Domain structure; Magnetic force microscopy; 75.70.−i; Thin films; Transition elements; Magnetic domains; Domain walls; Iron; Experimental study; Ultrahigh vacuum
• ISSN: 0304-8853
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-8853(98)00269-8

The design of an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) magnetic force microscope (MFM) is described. The instrument was applied to investigate the magnetic structure of 10–80 nm thick Fe(1 0 0) films grown in situ in UHV on Ag(1 0 0) thin film substrates. The domain structure consists mainly of 90° domain walls while only a minority of 180° walls was found. The wall profiles are found to be of Néel type for 10 nm films and of asymmetric Bloch type for 80 nm films.