Magnetic domain configurations of pulsed laser deposited MnBi hard magnetic films

•Hard polycristalline MnBi films were obtained upon annealing of Mn/Bi films.•Magnetic domains were correlated to MnBi grains in the micrometer range.•Addition of Bi buffer and capping layer originated an orientation of the MnBi grains.•In the Bi-rich samples, magnetic domains extended over wider areas in the films.•An increase of remanence and a decrease in coercivity was observed in Bi-rich films.