Element-specific first order reversal curves measured by magnetic transmission x-ray microscopy

The first-order reversal curve (FORC) method is a macroscopic measurement technique that can be used to extract quantitative and microscopic properties of hysteretic systems. Using magnetic transmission x-ray microscopy (MTXM), local element-specific FORC measurements are performed on 20 nm thick film CoTb. FORCs measured with reveal step-by-step domain evolution under the field cycling protocol provide direct visualization mechanistic interpretation diagrams. They compared magnetometry show good agreement. Furthermore, high spatial resolution sensitivity MTXM new capabilities measure in small regions or specific phases within multicomponent systems, including buried layers heterostructures. ability perform very features demonstrated MTXM-FORC rectangular microstructure vortex-like Landau structures. This work demonstrates confluence two uniquely powerful techniques achieve insight into nanoscale behavior.