The observation of stripe domains in amorphous GdCo films prepared by evaporation

Abstract

Stripe domains are supported in thin magnetic films which exhibit a sufficiently strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Amorphous magnetic thin films of most rare-earth/transition-metal alloys prepared by sputtering or by evaporation commonly exhibit such a domain structure. Until now exceptions have been strong enough to give stripe domains. Some observations of such domains in amorphous GdCo films evaporated at oblique incidence are reported.