Observation of zigzag domains in the surface layer of Fe-based microwires by magnetic force microscopy

•In low magnetic fields the domain structure of the surface layer consisted of zigzag-shaped domains elongated along the microwire axis.•When applying a magnetic field along the microwire axis, ring domains with a radial orientation of the magnetic moment were formed.•The width of the domains is 2 µm in the microwire with a diameter of 20 µm.•The observed zigzag domains are inclined to the microwire axis at an angle of 45 degrees. The magnetic domain structure of the surface layer of Fe-based amorphous microwires with a diameter of 20 µm (after glass removal) was investigated. An approach has been developed to study the domain structure of the curved surface of a microwire by magnetic force microscopy. It was found that in low magnetic fields the domain structure of the surface layer consisted of zigzag-shaped domains elongated along the microwire axis. These domains are inclined to the microwire axis at an angle of 45 degrees. An increase in the magnetic field along the microwire axis resulted in the transformation of the magnetic structure to the structure consisting of ring domains with an opposite orientation of the magnetic moment. The geometric parameters of both types of the domain structure were determined. The width of zigzag-shaped domains was 2 µm. The width of ring domain was 2.5–5 µm.