title: Quasistatic x-ray speckle metrology of microscopic magnetic return-point memory.
abstract: We have used coherent, resonant, x-ray magnetic speckle patterns to measure the statistical evolution of the microscopic magnetic domains in perpendicular magnetic films as a function of the applied magnetic field. Our work constitutes the first direct, ensemble-averaged study of microscopic magnetic return-point memory, and demonstrates the profound impact of interfacial roughness on this phenomenon. At low fields, the microscopic magnetic domains forget their past history with an exponential field dependence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: Rob G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Larry B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Sorensen
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Kevan
authors.forename: Olav
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hellwig
authors.forename: Eric E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Fullerton
authors.forename: Jeffrey B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kortright