Modifying the temperature dependence of magnetic garnet film coercivity by etching

The temperature dependence of the domain-wall coercive field of epitaxial magnetic garnet films was modified in a defined temperature range by removing the surface layer of the films. Outside the given temperature range the coercivity versus temperature curve did not change. The result supports a model of coercivity according to which different sets of material imperfections are responsible for pinning the domain walls in different temperature regions. Appropriate processing of the samples enables some of the pinning sets to be modified independently of each other. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)08623-5].