Magnetotransport and magnetic properties of molecular-beam epitaxy L10 FePt thin films

The magnetotransport and magnetic properties of chemically ordered (001) L1(0) FePt epitaxial thin films with small scale perpendicularly magnetized stripe domains have been investigated. Film growth conditions are used to systematically vary the degree of chemical order, the magnetic anisotropy, and magnetic domain sizes. The longitudinal and transverse (Hall) resistivities are correlated with both film chemical order and magnetic properties. The low-field magnetoresistance shows evidence of domain effects. In the highest anisotropy and most chemically ordered film studied, this low field magnetoresistance is consistent with an intrinsic domain wall scattering contribution to the resistivity. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)89308-1].