Measurement of in-plane magnetization by force microscopy

We present data which show that the magnetic force microscope is capable of detecting the component of the magnetic field parallel to the surface of a sample under study. Images of bits in a Co-alloy thin-film disk and of laser-written bits in a TbFe film were taken with a magnetized tip tilted at 45° with respect to the surface normal. In both cases the asymmetric part of the image of a domain is interpreted in terms of gradients in the in-plane component of the magnetic field. The bits written in the Co-alloy disk were decorated with small magnetized particles, allowing identification of the domain boundaries and the asymmetric component of the force microscope image due to in-plane magnetization.