Atomic-Scale Magnetic Domain Walls in Quasi-One-Dimensional Fe Nanostripes

Abstract

Fe nanostripes on W(110) are investigated by Kerr magnetometry and spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM). An Arrhenius law is observed for the temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility indicating a one-dimensional magnetic behavior. The activation energy for creating antiparallel spin blocks indicates extremely narrow domain walls with a width on a length scale of the lattice constant. This is confirmed by imaging the domain wall by SP-STM. This information allows the quantification of the exchange stiffness and the anisotropy constant.