Amorphization of biperiodic domain structures in quasi-uniaxial magnetic films with a critical thickness

The behavior of biperiodic stripe domain structures in quasi-uniaxial magnetic films with a near-critical thickness is studied by scanning magnetic force microscopy and magnetooptical diffraction. In these films, antiphase and hybrid biperiodic domain structures are found to be absent, and the phase transitions between monoperiodic and in-phase biperiodic domain structures are shown to proceed through two-dimensional domain arrays that are amorphized in the arrangement of near-surface distortions in the domain-wall profile.