Magnetooptical study of the near-surface micromagnetic structure and local magnetic properties of NiFe/Cu nanocomposite microwires

Abstract

The local near-surface magnetic properties and micromagnetic structure of NiFe/Cu nanocomposite microwires have been studied using the scanning Kerr microscopy technique. The local magnetization curves and the profiles of magnetization components (both parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field H applied parallel to the microwire sample length) were measured using a 1-μm-diameter probing light beam that was scanned along the sample. The magnetization component parallel to H in all samples has the same sign, while the component perpendicular to the field changes sign. The observed magnetization distributions are indicative of the presence of circular near-surface domains with a ±70°-80° orientation of magnetization in the neighboring domains relative to the sample axis. It is shown that the dominating mechanism of magnetization reversal in the near-surface regions of nanocomposite microwires is via the rotation of magnetization in the circular domains. © Nauka/Interperiodica 2006.