Spin-polarized-SEM observation of surface magnetization across domain wall in permalloy films

Magnetization distribution within the surface layer has been observed for permalloy polycrystalline films using spin-polarized SEM developed recently. In a previous work the authors arrived at a qualitative conclusion that surface structures of 180°, domain wall on permalloy films were Néel type with much larger widths than the one-dimensional estimate for the Bloch type. This conclusion was based on image contrast. However, our closer investigation on quantitative measurement indicates that the surface structure of the wall of 1.4μm thick films is a mixed type, i.e, both Bloch and Néel.