Microdomain Phases in Magnetic Multilayers

The magnetic properties of ultra-thin magnetic films can be fine tuned to a remarkable degree by varying the number and composition of the individual layers and the substrate. Of particular interest is the ability to vary the effective magnetic anisotropy by changing the thickness of the film. This allows experimentalists to study in some considerable detail the nature of the magnetization close to the spin reorientation transition. In this paper we review some preliminary results from a theoretical analysis and simulation studies that describe some of the key properties of microdomain phases observed near the spin reorientation transition.