MAGNETOOPTICAL DOMAIN STUDIES IN COUPLED MAGNETIC MULTILAYERS

Due to an information depth of at least 20 mm in metals, the direct study of the magnetization in several layers of a multilayer system is possible by magneto-optical microscopy. This is especially helpful for the investigation of coupled layers consisting of ferromagnetic films and non-magnetic spacer layers where according to oscillatory exchange coupling a different alignment of the magnetization in the neighboring films is possible. For such systems the combined use of the magneto-optical Kerr, Voigt and gradient effects proved very convenient. The potential of these effects is reviewed, together with an overview of domains in mono- and polycrystalline trilayers.