Giant magnetic domains in amorphous SmCo thin films

The potential for tuning of magnetic properties and the exceptional uniformity are among the features that make amorphous magnetic materials attractive for technology. Here it is shown that the magnetization reversal in amorphous SmCo thin films takes place through the formation of giant magnetic domains, over a centimeter across. The domain structure is found to be dictated by the direction of the imprinted in-plane easy axis and the film boundaries. This is a consequence of the size of the anisotropy and the structural uniformity of the films, which also allows the movement of millimeter-long domain walls over distances of several millimeters. The results demonstrate the possibility of tailoring the magnetic domain structure in amorphous magnets over a wide range of length scales, up to centimeters. Moreover, they highlight an important consequence of the structural perfection of amorphous films.