Imaging of magnetic domains with the X-ray microscope at BESSY using X-ray magnetic circular dichroism

X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (X-MCD), i.e. the change of the absorption of circular polarized X-rays for reversed sample magnetization amounts at the L_2,3_{2,3}-edges of 3d transition metals up to 50% percent. This can be used to obtain in energy-dispersive X-ray imaging techniques a considerable, element-specific magnetic contrast. On the other hand, with the transmission X-ray microscope (TXM) based on the zone-plate technique spatial resolutions of 30 nm30 nm can be achieved. In this communication it is shown for the first time that the combination of the TXM with X-MCD provides a huge contrast and is therefore powerful new method to visualize in a quantitative and element-specific manner magnetic domains. Using soft X-rays with a wavelength of 1.7 nm1.7 nm corresponding to the energy of the Fe L₃_{3}-edge the variation of the shape and magnetization of domains in a magneto-optical GdFe layer system was studied with a lateral resolution of 60 nm60 nm.