Effect of tensile stress on local magnetic properties and micromagnetic structure of Co-RICH amorphous microwires

Results on the magneto-optical investigation of the influence of tensile stress on local magnetic properties and nearsurface micromagnetic structure of Co-69 Fe-4 Si-12 B-15 amorphous wires 10-50 mum in diameter are presented. The microwire sample have a circumferential magnetic anisotropy. As a consequence, there are near-surface circular domains in these samples with an alternate left- and right-handed magnetization in the adjacent domains. Near-surface micromagnetic structure of the amorphous wires changed under the affect of tensile stress. With increasing axial tensile stresses, the circular domain width and the initial permeability decreased. The dominant mechanism of the wire magnetization reversal in the axial magnetic field was proved to be rotation of local magnetization vectors in the circular domains. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.