Abstract
A micromagnetic model for the calculation of magnetization processes in magnetic multilayer systems has been developed using a finite element method. Shell elements which account for the multilayer structure and a magnetic vector potential to treat long-range dipolar interactions are the essential features of the algorithm. Micromagnetic calculations of hysteresis properties and domain structures in Co/Pt multilayer systems show a qualitative agreement with magnetic images obtained from field emission Lorentz microscopy. The nucleation field of Co/Pt multilayers increases with improving texture. Spatial fluctuations of the magneto-crystalline anisotropy energy create barriers for domain wall motion. The pinning field of domains increases with increasing grain size. The domain wall structure depends on he local magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The wall structure changes from a Bloch-type to a Néel-type wall as the local anisotropy constant decreases. The quality of texture and the grain size significantly influence the jaggedness of domains in Co/Pt multilayers. Large grains and strong deviations of the easy directions from the film normal deteriorate the smoothness of domains and increase the transition width.
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