Perpendicular exchange bias and its control by magnetic, stress and electric fields

Authors

Christian Binek, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Pavel Borisov, Universität Duisburg-EssenFollow
Xi Chen, Angewandte Physik, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
S. Sahoo, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Wolfman Kleemann, Angewandte Physik, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, GermanyFollow

Date of this Version

3-8-2005

Comments

Published by EDP SCiences. © 2005. Permission to use. Eur. Phys. J. B 45, 197 (2005).

Abstract

erpendicular exchange bias (PEB) involving perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in both the antiferromagnetic (AF) pinning and the ferromagnetic (FM) sensor layer is expected to become important in future perpendicular recording and sensing devices. Further, because of the reduced spin dimensionality, PEB promises to be easier understandable than the conventional planar exchange bias (EB). In addition to its first realization using the Ising-type AF compounds FeF₂ and FeCl₂ we have tested control strategies of EB being alternative to the conventional magnetic and thermal ones. Indeed, specific symmetry properties of the pinning layer have been shown to enable mechanical (viz. piezomagnetic via FeF₂) and electric control (viz. magneto-electric via Cr₂O₃) of EB, respectively. Electric control promises to become relevant for TMR devices in MRAM technology.