The magneto-optical properties of Co microsquare-2 m edge-arrays have been investigated for different interelement separations, from 0.2 to 2.0 m. The magneto-optical response is measured both at reflected and diffracted beams, and it is compared with the results of a model that uses micromagnetic simulations and optical diffraction theory to calculate the magneto-optical response for different diffracted spots. A satisfactory agreement between the experiments and the predictions from the combined micromagnetic and optical diffraction models allows the interpretation of the experimental data and provides a way to analyze and understand the physical meaning of the magneto-optic diffracted signal. The comparison of this diffracted magneto-optical experimental data with predictions from simple reversal models allows us to monitor different element magnetization reversal mechanisms as the separation between elements in the array varies.

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In this paper, the predictive power of diffracxtive magneto-optics concerning domain structure and reversal mechanisms in ordered arrays of magnetic elements is demonstrated. A simple theoretical model based on Fraunhoffer diffraction theory is used to predict the magnetisation reversal mechanisms in an array of magnetic elements. Different domain structures and simplified models (or educated guesses) of the associated reversal mechanisms produce marked differences in the spatial distributions of the magnetisation. These differences and the associated magnetisation distribution moments are experimentally accessible through conventional and diffractive magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. The domain and magnetisation reversal predictions are corroborated with Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) measurements.