The role of the strain state in epitaxial (001)-oriented Cu/Ni(14 nm)/Cu rings is investigated using a combination of magnetic force microscopy and finite-element calculations. Rings with an external diameter of 3 and 2 $\mu$m and linewidth $W$ larger than 400 nm show two different structures: domains with magnetization oriented in the radial direction exist at the inner and outer radius, separated by an area in the interior of the ring consisting of stripe domains with perpendicular magnetization. The former is the sole magnetic structure observed for $W<400$ nm. Micromagnetic calculations on narrow-linewidth structures indicate that the radial domain-wall structure consists of elliptical Bloch lines with a shorter and longer length along the tangential and radial directions, respectively. Finite-element calculations show that the anisotropic relaxation of the in-plane strain is larger at the ring inner and outer edges than in the interior part of the ring and accounts for the reorientation of the magnetization direction.

• Received 29 April 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.88.054418