Magnetization reversal of microsized Fe elliptic rings

We report on the magnetization reversal of elliptic ring patterns lithographically prepared from Fe films. The elliptic rings in four different arrays are all of the same size (3.3×2.6μm2), but their geometry is disturbed by introducing an increasing number of slits into the rings. The magnetization reversal is studied by regular longitudinal vector magneto-optical Kerr effect in specular geometry as well as in Bragg geometry, using the diffraction spots from the grating for hysteresis measurements. The measurements are compared with the results of micromagnetic simulation, which allow a detailed interpretation of the experimental data. We find that the remagnetization process in an external magnetic field is characterized by single-step switching or double switching depending on the geometry of the structure.