ELEMENT-SPECIFIC IMAGING OF MAGNETIC DOMAINS IN MULTICOMPONENT THIN-FILM SYSTEMS

We employ a new form of photoemission microscopy to image magnetic dom ains with both element specificity and surface sensitivity. Its contra st mechanisms are based on magneto-dichroic effects in photo-induced A uger electron emission. The method is especially beneficial to the inv estigation of magnetic domains in multicomponent thin film structures. We demonstrate the capabilities of this technique for the case of epi taxial Cr/Fe(100) thin film systems. The magnetic domain structures of a monatomic Cr layer on Fe, a Cr wedge on Fe, and a wedge shaped Fe/C r/Fe sandwich structure are investigated for both elements. An antifer romagnetic alignment of the Cr monolayer to the Fe substrate is direct ly revealed in the images. Exploiting the angular dependence of the ma gnetic dichroism, regions of bilinear and biquadratic exchange couplin g in the Fe/Cr/Fe sandwich are unequivocally identified.