Magneto-optic observation of domain motions and instabilities in small permalloy elements

• Published in: IEEE transactions on magnetics 1986-09, Vol.22 (5), p.772-774
• Main Authors: Herman, D., Argyle, B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysing. Testing. Standards; Applied sciences; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Magnetic domain walls; Magnetic fields; Magnetic films; Magnetic force microscopy; Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetic properties of surface, thin films and multilayers; Magnetooptic effects; Materials science; Measurement of properties and materials state; Metals, semimetals and alloys; Metals. Metallurgy; Nondestructive testing; Optical detectors; Optical films; Optical microscopy; Optical polarization; Physics; Real time systems; Specific materials
• ISSN: 0018-9464; 1941-0069
• DOI: 10.1109/TMAG.1986.1064551

Domain wall networks, their motions and transformations are studied in response to changing magnetic fields (≤ 30 Hz) in small, rectangular, easy-axis and hard-axis stripes of Permalloy film (375Å). Many of the effects reported previously using Bitter solution or Lorentz techniques are now seen optically in real time with a wide-field, high resolution, polarized, laser magneto-optic microscope system. This initial study reports optical detection of transformations between domain configurations such as the Landau-Lifshitz structure (L.L.), L.L. plus diamond, concertina, and bellows. Wall cluster and subcluster artifacts are visible and may be seen to generate (annihilate) or bifurcate (amalgamate) during network motion.