Measurement of in-plane magnetization by force microscopy

Abstract

We present data which show that the magnetic force microscope is capable of detecting the component of the magnetic field parallel to the surface of a sample under study. Images of bits in a Co-alloy thin-film disk and of laser-written bits in a TbFe film were taken with a magnetized tip tilted at 45°with respect to the surface normal. In both cases the asymmetric part of the image of a domain is interpreted in terms of gradients in the in-plane component of the magnetic field. The bits written in the Co-alloy disk were decorated with small magnetized particles, allowing identification of the domain boundaries and the asymmetric component of the force microscope image due to in-plane magnetization.