We report on the first combination of the X-ray Magnetic Circular Dich
roism (X-MCD) with the transmission X-ray microscope (TXM) at BESSY I
based on the zone-plate technique providing a spatial resolution of si
milar to 60nm which has been applied to study magnetic domains. The im
ages were recorded in transmission mode at the Fe L-3 absorption edge
with a 59nm thick GdFe system. Below the edge the images exhibited no
spatial contrast. Pronounced structures according to a contrast, i.e.
a difference of the transmitted intensities in the order of 17% could
be observed at an incident energy of approximate to 706eV. The relativ
e change of intensity allows to deduce the direction and strength of t
he spatial magnetization distribution The evolution of the growth of t
hese magnetic domains as function of the applied external magnetic fie
ld allows to study the characteristics of the domain walls and the beh
aviour of the magnetization inside the magnetic domains. Close to the
saturation field thin worm-like domains with a thickness of about 100n
m remained relative stable.