Magnetization Reversal Behavior in Electrodeposited Fe–Co–Ni Thin Films

Binary Fe–Co and ternary (FeCo) _(1−x) Ni _x alloy thin films were electrodeposited on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrate. The morphology of electrodeposited films was significantly influenced by nickel (Ni) concentration which varied from uniformly distributed needle-like structures in FeCo to spherical granules. With increasing Ni content, the coercivity as well as remanence decreases. The angular variation of coercivity predicts that the magnetization reversal mechanism in FeCo film occurs by domain wall depinning through a local defect, whereas the domain reversal is followed by a coherent rotation of spins in Fe ₃₈ Co ₃₇ Ni ₂₅ films having 25 (atomic)% Ni. MOKE microscopy images reveal flame-like domains in FeCo, which transforms to ripple-like domains in Fe ₃₈ Co ₃₇ Ni ₂₅ . A deeper understanding of the magnetization reversal and observed high coercivity behavior in the out-of-plane hysteresis is presented using micromagnetic simulation.