Influence of Pt thickness on magnetization reversal processes in (Pt/Co)3 multilayers with perpendicular anisotropy

Abstract We present a detailed study of the magnetization reversal in perpendicularly magnetized (Pt/Co) 3 multilayers with different values of the platinum interlayer thickness t Pt . To study the magnetization reversal in our samples we combined measurements of relaxation curves with the direct visualization of domain structures. Magnetization reversal was dominated by domain wall propagation for t Pt =1 nm and by domain nucleation for t Pt =0.2 nm, while a mixed process was observed for t Pt =0.8 nm. We interpret our results within the framework of a model of thermally activated reversal where a distribution of activation energy barriers is taken into account. The reversal process was correlated with the energy barrier distribution.