Modelling of MFM images of 180° and 90° domain walls in iron films

We report symmetric and antisymmetric 180/spl deg/ and 90/spl deg/ domain wall structures in (100) iron films obtained by micromagnetic computer simulation and the force gradients experienced by a pyramidal tip coated with thin CoCr film scanning them at 50 nm altitude. The magnetic force gradient was obtained numerically as the second difference of the interaction energy of the magnetic tip and the sample for small vertical displacements. The results showed that by using a magnetic force microscope (MFM), it is very difficult to distinguish (i) S and C type 180/spl deg/ domain walls in a thick iron film; and (ii) symmetric and asymmetric 90/spl deg/ Neel domain walls. However, S and C 180/spl deg/ domain walls can more readily be distinguished in thin magnetic films.