Abstract
The domain structure of an antiferromagnetic superlattice is studied. Synchrotron Mössbauer and polarized neutron reflectometric maps show micrometer-size primary domain formation as the external field decreases from saturation to remanence. A secondary domain state consisting mainly of at least 1 order of magnitude larger domains is created when a small field along the layer magnetizations induces a bulk-spin-flop transition. The domain-size distribution is reproducibly dependent on the magnetic prehistory. The condition for domain coarsening is shown to be the equilibrium of the external field energy with the anisotropy energy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 4 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Physical Review Letters |
| Volume | 88 |
| Issue number | 15 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2002 |
| Externally published | Yes |