Magnetic Domain Formation in Itinerant Metamagnets

Abstract

We examine the effects of long-range dipolar forces on metamagnetic transitions and generalize the theory of Condon domains to the case of an itinerant electron system undergoing a first-order metamagnetic transition. We demonstrate that, within a finite range of the applied field, dipolar interactions induce a spatial modulation of the magnetization in the form of stripes or bubbles. Our findings are consistent with recent observations in the bilayer ruthenate Sr(3)Ru(2)O(7).