Magnetization Reversal in Amorphous TbFe Films

Abstract

AbstractObservations under polarized light of magnetization reversal in thin amorphous films of TbFe alloys indicate that the reversal process is initiated at inherent nucleation sites where reverse-magnetized domains appear at fields below coercivity. The nuclei then grow in time until they cover the entire sample. The process of nucleation and growth seems to be dominated by the microstructure, since samples with identical bulk magnetic characteristics (such as composition, hysteresis loop and coercivity) exhibit quite different reversal behavior. This process is also dependent upon the history of magnetization of the sample.