Magnetic domains in epitaxial ordered FePd(001) thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Small magnetic domains (70 nm) have been observed by magnetic force microscopy in ordered FePd thin films grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The layers exhibit a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy induced by uniaxial ${\mathrm{L}1}_{0}$ [CuAu(I)-type] chemical ordering. The magnetization curves show that the easy magnetization axis is perpendicular to the film plane and their interpretation with a micromagnetic model leads to the correct size of the domains.