Magnetization wrinkle in thin ferromagnetic films

Using spin-polarized low energy electron microscopy with polarization manipulation we have observed a new magnetic ordering pattern in thin Co films on W(110). The predominantly uniaxial in-plane magnetization is superimposed by a more fine-grained out-of-plane component in a striped or checkerboardlike arrangement, which is strongly modified by the step distribution. This results in a wrinkled magnetization which should occur also in many other systems.