Domain configurations of nanostructured Permalloy elements

The magnetization distributions of an array of small NiFe elements were stu died using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (LTEM) and magnetic for ce microscopy (MFM). The dependence of the domain configurations at zero fi eld as a function of the aspect ratio was observed using MFM, and confirms the earlier observations using LTEM. Comparison of the images of similar is lands using both techniques elucidate the complementarity between the LTEM and MFM measurements which individually show different facets of the magnet ization distributions on soft magnetic thin films. (C) 1999 American Instit ute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)69308-2].