Domain formation characteristics during thermomagnetic recording for amorphous TbFe and TbFeCo alloy thin films

Static according tests were carried out on a series of amorphous TbFe thin films of various composition under a constant laser irradiation condition. Examination of recorded domain configurations by using polarizing microscope led to the categorization of domain characteristics into 3 distinctly different types; i.c., type A: circular domains with smooth boundaries, the size not sensitive to variation of bias field, type B: domains of irregular shape at low bias, the size increasing and the boundaries getting smoother and more circular with increasing bias field and type C: not recordable. Critical factor which distinguishes among each types was fond to be the relative magnitude of H and H of the film near T, regardless of constituent atomic species. Micromagnetical process of thermomagnetic recording cycle was analyzed scheniatically for each type.