Crossover to striped magnetic domains inf FE$_{1-x}$Ga$_x$ magnetostrictive thin films

M. BARTUREN; B. RACHE SALLES; P. SCHIO; J. MILANO; A. BUTERA; S. BUSTINGORRY; C. RAMOS; A. J. A. DE OLIVEIRA; M. EDDRIEF; E. LACAZE; F. GENDRON; V. H. ETGENS; M. MARANGOLO

APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS

AMER INST PHYSICS

Lugar: New York; Año: 2012 vol. 101 p. 92404 - 92408

0003-6951

We have studied the magnetic properties at room temperature of Fe$_{1-x}$ Ga$_x$ (FeGa) epitaxial thin films grown on ZnSe/GaAs(100) for 0.14 x 0.29 range concentration, and film thicknesses, d = 36 and 72 nm. The study was performed by means of magnetometric measurements and magnetic force microscopy scans. Increasing x promotes the loss of the four-fold magnetic-crystalline anisotropy associated to an Fe-like behavior, which is lost completely above x = 0.20. Stripe domains with rotatable anisotropy are observed even in samples in which the theoretical conditions for stripe appearance are not completely fulfilled. An unexpected ?saw-tooth? stripe structure has been found under certain conditions.