Perpendicular magnetic ground state of a multilayer film

We evaluate the dipolar energy in a periodic multilayer film consisting of alternating ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic layers, for magnetization perpendicular to the plane of the film, arranged in alternately polarized strip domains. The lowest-energy state for this configuration is calculated for the case of freely mobile domain walls. Within certain limits, the layered film behaves as a uniform medium with an anisotropy arising from the layering. The relevance of the theory to experiments on Pd/Co layered films is discussed.