Incoherent Domain Configuration Along Wire Width in Permalloy Nanowires

Magnetization reversal in ferromagnetic Permalloy nanowires is experimentally investigated by measurement of the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR). Two distinct regimes of the magnetization reversal are observed with respect to the angle of the external magnetic field. For the regime of large angles, the AMR curves exhibit two distinct jumps, evidencing the existence of an intermediate transient state. The intermediate state is in the form of an incoherent magnetization configuration consisting of three domain structures with two Neel walls, due to the inhomogeneous shape anisotropy distribution, as confirmed by a micromagnetic prediction.