Room temperature scanning Hall probe microscopy of localized magnetic field fluctuations on the surfaces of magnetic recording media, permanent magnets and crystalline garnet films in external bias fields

A sub-micron room temperature scanning Hall probe microscope (RT-SHPM) was used for real-time imaging of surface magnetic domains of floppy disks, Sr ferrite magnets and Bi-substituted iron garnets placed in large external bias fields. Domain wall nucleation was observed in the garnets where bubble lattices expanded, collapsed and transformed into stripe domains in cyclic bias fields. Evolution of RT-SHPM images was compared with conventional vibrating sample magnetometer measurements. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved