Step-edge induced anisotropic domain-wall propagation

We report the observation of anisotropic domain-wall propagation in ultrath in magnetic films with perpendicular anisotropy. A controlled density of st ep edges was introduced which allowed us to quantify its influence on the d omain-wall pinning. For a sawtooth arrangement of the step edges the corres ponding wall movement resulted in triangular shaped domains. All aspects of this anisotropic domain-wall evolution could be reproduced by a simulation based on a modified Ginzburg-Landau-type soft-spin model.