Weak stripe domains in Co/Fe multilayers

Ultra-high-vacuum electron-beam-evaporated Co/Fe multilayers (C-x/Fe-3x wit h x = 5, 10, 15 nm) were studied by atomic and magnetic force microscopy (A FM, MFM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and conversion electron Mossb auer spectroscopy (CEMS). MFM investigation showed long, dense and parallel domain regions (stripe domains) with the average width decreasing with the multilayer thickness. VSM and CEMS measurements showed the presence of an out-of-plane anisotropy, whose origin is ascribed to a planar stress at the interfaces, and which can give account of the observed narrow stripe domai n pattern. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.