Correlation between local coercivity variation and local relaxation time with varying the field sweeping rate in Co/Pd multilayer wires

Abstract

We have investigated the effect of the field sweeping rate on the correlation between the local coercivity variation and the local relaxation time in Co/Pd multilayer wire with width of 10mum. The local coercivity variations at various field sweeping rates are obtained from two-dimensional arrays of the local hysteresis loops and the local relaxation times are determined from time-resolved domain evolution patterns at exactly the same position of the sample. The activation volume determined from the correlation between the local coercivity variation and the local relaxation time is found to be independent of the sweeping rate variation within an experimental error. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.