| Popis: |
We report on the observation of irregular labyrinthine magnetic domains with dendritic edges in a 1500 nm thick Co96Cu4 alloyed film grown via radio-frequency magnetron sputtering on a polyimide substrate. The film shows strong texture along the c-axis of the hexagonal closed packed system. As a result, its magnetic properties resemble those of single-crystalline hexagonal (001) Co films. Indeed, magnetization hysteresis loops recorded under fields up to 16 kOe via a home-made magneto-optic Kerr-effect magnetometer reveal strong tendency for perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Hysteresis loops with the field parallel or perpendicular to the film plane present zero remanence. Magnetic force microscopy after perpendicular magnetization of the film shows the formation of regular bubble ferromagnetic domains in a metastable state with the local spins oriented up and down, perpendicular to the film plane. After perpendicular demagnetization, however, the labyrinthine ferromagnetic domains show irregularly distributed dendritic edges. This effect is attributed to Cu precipitates in a Co matrix, which act as pinning sites in the free motion of domain walls. |
