X-ray resonant magnetic scattering from FePd thin films

Depending on the growth conditions, FePd thin films can display a perpendic ular magnetic anisotropy associated with chemical order. In competition wit h the shape anisotropy, this can lead to striped magnetic domains, with mom ents perpendicular to the film plane. Under these circumstances, magnetic f lux closure should occur. The striped domains were studied with soft x-ray resonant magnetic scattering using circularly polarized light to demonstrat e the presence of closure domains. Magnetic depth profiling was performed b oth at the Fe and Pd L-3 edge, by measuring the magnetic diffraction peak i ntensities versus angle of incidence theta. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)65408-7].