DC magnetization processes in bistable glass-coated ferromagnetic microwires

Interaction of a single magnetic domain wall with an inhomogeneous magnetic field and distribution of local nucleation fields along glass-coated Fe77.5-xNixB15Si7.5 (X=0, 27.9, 34.9) microwires were experimentally studied. It was shown that the wall separating two axial domains and moving along the wire can be stopped by an inhomogeneous magnetic field. The wall remains stable and trapped in a local potential minimum after external fields are switched off. Wall coercivity increases with Ni content. For all samples the minimum of critical field for axial magnetization reversal was observed near the end of the wire. For samples with non-zero Ni content a distribution of nucleation fields lower than 950 A/m was observed in regions far enough from the wire ends. In Ni-free samples the nucleation fields were higher than 950 A/m. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.