Modifying the temperature dependence of magnetic garnet film coercivity byetching

The temperature dependence of the domain-wall coercive field of epitaxial m agnetic garnet films was modified in a defined temperature range by removin g the surface layer of the films. Outside the given temperature range the c oercivity versus temperature curve did not change. The result supports a mo del of coercivity according to which different sets of material imperfectio ns are responsible for pinning the domain walls in different temperature re gions. Appropriate processing of the samples enables some of the pinning se ts to be modified independently of each other. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)08623-5].