Magnetic induction and domain walls in magnetic thin films at remanence

Original · EN

Magnetic domain walls in thin films can be well analyzed using polarized neutron reflectometry. Well defined streaks in the off-specular spin-flip scattering maps are explained by neutron refraction at perpendicular Néel walls. The position of the streaks depends only on the magnetic induction within the domains, whereas the intensity of the off-specular magnetic scattering depends on the spin-flip probability at the domain walls and on the average size of the magnetic domains. This effect is fundamentally different and has to be clearly distinguished from diffuse scattering originating from the size distribution of magnetic domains. Polarized neutron reflectivity experiments were carried out using a ³He gas spin-filter with a analyzing power as high as 96% and a neutron transmission of approx 35%. Furthermore, the off-specular magnetic scattering was enhanced by using neutron resonance and neutron standing wave techniques.