Journal of Applied Physics -- January 15, 2001 -- Volume 89, Issue 2 pp. 1325-1330 

    Full Text:  [  HTML    Sectioned HTML    PDF (88 kB)    GZipped PS  ]    Order 


Effect of surface roughness on magnetic domain wall thickness, domain size, and coercivity

    Y.-P. Zhao, R. M. Gamache, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu 
    Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180-3590 

    G. Palasantzas and J. Th. M. De Hosson 
    Department of Applied Physics, Materials Science Center, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands 

(Received 17 December 1999; accepted 11 October 2000) 

We study the effect of surface roughness on magnetic domain wall thickness, domain size, and coercivity of thin magnetic films. We show that
the roughness increases (decreases) the domain wall thickness and domain size for Bloch walls (Néel walls). The surface roughness affects
the domain wall movement and causes the increase of coercivity for Néel walls. The coercivity due to domain rotation for Bloch walls
decreases with the increase of roughness. The domain wall thickness, domain size, and coercivity are each related to the demagnetizing
factor, which depends on the roughness and type of wall (Bloch wall or Néel wall). The calculated coercivity versus thickness is compared
with experimental data of ultrathin Co films, where the thickness dependent roughness parameters are available. ©2001 American Institute
of Physics. 


DOI: 10.1063/1.1331065 
PACS: 75.70.Kw, 75.60.Ch, 68.35.Bs, 75.60.Ej