Magnetic anisotropy and domain structure in epitaxial CoFe2O4 thin films

Magnetic properties of CoFe2O4 thin films epitaxially grown on (100) MgO by pulsed layer deposition are controlled by substrate temperature and film thickness. At 300 °C a strong dependence of magnetic anisotropy on thickness is observed indicating that stress is dominant. However at 800 °C magnetic properties are less sensitive to film thickness suggesting that magnetocrystalline is the only prevailing form of anisotropy. We also show that magnetic domains exhibit a cluster-like structure rather than stripe.