Layer resolved magnetic domain imaging of epitaxial heterostructures in large applied magnetic fields.

We use X-ray Excited Luminescence Microscopy to investigate the elemental and layer resolved magnetic reversal in an interlayer exchange coupled (IEC) epitaxial Fe/Cr wedge/Co heterostructure. The transition from strongly coupled parallel Co-Fe reversal for Cr thickness t_Cr<0.34 nm to weakly coupled layer independent reversal for t_Cr>1.5 nm is punctuated at 0.34<t_Cr<1.5 nm by a combination of IEC guided domain wall motion and stationary zig zag domain walls. Domain walls nucleated at switching field minima are guided by IEC spatial gradients and collapse at switching field maxima. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]