Phys. Rev. Lett. Phys. Rev. A Phys. Rev. B Phys. Rev. C Phys. Rev. D Phys. Rev. E Phys. Rev. ST AB Rev. Mod. Phys. Phys. Rev. (Series I) Phys. Rev. Volume: Page/Article:

Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 4865–4868 (1997)

[Issue 25 – 23 June 1997 ]

[ Previous article | Next article | Issue 25 contents ]

Calculations of Exchange Bias in Thin Films with Ferromagnetic/Antiferromagnetic Interfaces

N. C. Koon

Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375-5320

A microscopic explanation of exchange bias in thin films with compensated ferro/antiferromagnetic interfaces is presented. Full micromagnetic calculations show the interfacial exchange coupling to be relatively strong with a perpendicular orientation between the ferro/antiferromagnetic axis directions, similar to the classic "spin-flop" state in bulk antiferromagnets. With reasonable parameters the calculations predict bias fields comparable to those observed and provide a possible explanation for both anomalous high field rotational hysteresis and recently discovered "positive" exchange bias.

©1997 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v78/p4865
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.4865
PACS: 75.70.Cn, 75.30.Gw

[ Previous article | Next article | Issue 25 contents ]

References

1. W. P. Meiklejohn and C. P. Bean, Phys. Rev. 102, 1413 (1956); Phys. Rev. 105, 904 (1957).
2. C. P. Bean, in Structure and Properties of Thin Films, edited by C. Neugebauer, J. Newkirk, and D. Vermilyea (Wiley, New York,1959), p. 331.
3. See J. S. Kouvel, J. Phys. Chem. Solids 21, 57 (1961), and related works.
4. C. Mauri, H. C. Siegmann, P. S. Bagus, and E. Kay, J. Appl. Phys. 62, 3047 (1987) [ SPIN][ INSPEC].
5. A. P. Malozemoff, Phys. Rev. B 35, 3679 (1987); J. Appl. Phys. 63, 3874 (1988); Phys. Rev. B 37, 7673 (1988).
6. R. Jungblut, R. Coehoorn, M. Johnson, J. aan de Stegge, and A. Reinders, J. Appl. Phys. 75, 6659 (1994) [ SPIN][ INSPEC]; R. Jungblut, R. Coehoorn, M. T. Johnson, Ch. Sauer, P. J. van der Zaag, A. R. Ball, Th. G. S. M. Rijks, J. aan de Stegge, and A. Reinders, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 148, 300–306 (1995) [ INSPEC].
7. J. Nogues, D. Lederman, I. K. Schuller, and K. V. Rao, Appl. Phys. Lett. 68(22), 3186 (1996).
8. J. Nogues, D. Lederman, T. Moran, and I. K. Schuller, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 3186 (1996); see also T. J. Moran, Ph.D. thesis University of California, San Diego, 1995 (unpublished).

[ Previous article | Next article | Issue 25 contents ]