Pulsed remagnetization of thin magnetic films

Thin magnetic films occupy a special place in the problem of pulsed remagnetization of ferromagnets. The straight-through domain structure, the slight effect of eddy currents, and a number of other peculiarities make films convenient objects for studying the nature of pulsed remagnetization. This article presents a review of the basic results of study of the pulse properties of uniaxial polycrystalline films. The basic theoretical papers relate to the case of remagnetization of films by coherent rotation of the magnetization. A discussion of the question of the relation of the coherent-rotation model to the behavior of the real films comes up against an absence of information about the nature of the energy losses in pulsed remagnetization, and also an absence of reliable experimental data on the conditions under which nearly coherent rotation actually takes place in films. Attention is paid to significant successes in the development of methods for observing the nonequilibrium dynamic domains that originate in the process of pulsed remagnetization. The realization of these methods and the creation of setups with display times 10$^{-8}$–10$^{-9}$ sec have made possible an appreciable advance in the study of the nature of incoherent rotation and of domain-wall displacement–the basic mechanisms of the remagnetization of films.