The dynamics of magnetic domain wall motion in the FeNi layer of a $\mathrm{FeNi}/{\mathrm{Al}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3/\mathrm{Co}$ trilayer has been investigated by a combination of x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, photoelectron emission microscopy, and a stroboscopic pump-probe technique. The nucleation of domains and subsequent expansion by domain wall motion in the FeNi layer during nanosecond-long magnetic field pulses was observed in the viscous regime up to the Walker limit field. We attribute an observed delay of domain expansion to the influence of the domain wall energy that acts against the domain expansion and that plays an important role when domains are small.

• Received 26 September 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.097204