DOMAIN NUCLEATION AND WALL VELOCITY IN MAGNETOOPTICAL AMORPHOUS THIN-FILMS

Domain nucleation and growth kinetics were investigated in sputter-dep osited amorphous thin films of Tb20.2Fe67.8Co12.0 After magnetically s aturating the films, a reverse external field was applied and the spec imens were pulse-heated by all excimer laser. During this heal treatme nt the reversal of the magnetization was observed in-situ using the ma gneto-optical Kerr effect. In addition the domain nucleation was studi ed using a polarizing microscope. Combining the nucleation and magneti zation reversal measurements tile domain wall velocity was determined as a function of temperature at three different applied external field s. The results are discussed with reference to existing models for dom ain wall motion.