  Using photo-emission electron microscopy with X-ray magnetic circular
dichroism as a contrast mechanism, new insights into the all-optical
magnetization switching (AOS) phenomenon in GdFe based rare-earth transition
metal ferrimagnetic alloys are provided. From a sequence of static images taken
after single linearly polarized laser pulse excitation, the repeatability of
AOS can be measured with a correlation coefficient. It is found that low
coercivity enables thermally activated domain wall motion, limiting in turn the
repeatability of the switching. Time-resolved measurement of the magnetization
dynamics reveal that while AOS occurs below and above the magnetization
compensation temperature $T_\text{M}$, it is not observed in GdFe samples where
$T_\text{M}$ is absent. Finally, AOS is experimentally demonstrated against an
applied magnetic field of up to 180 mT.
