Angular dependence of magnetization reversal process in exchange coupled ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayers

Authors

Z.Y. Liu, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Shireen Adenwalla, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

March 2003

Comments

Published by American Institute of Physics. J. Applied Physics 93, 3422 (2003). ©2003 American Institute of Physics. Permission to use. http://jap.aip.org/jap/.

Abstract

The angular dependence of the magnetization reversal process in the exchange biased ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayers has been investigated carefully using the Stoner–Wohlfarth rotation model. Depending strongly on the orientation of the applied field and the competition between the unidirectional and uniaxial anisotropic energies, the magnetization rotation can occur at either the same side or the different sides of the field direction for the decreasing and increasing field branches of the hysteresis loop. The calculated results and the magneto-optical Kerr effect have been used to understand the magnetization reversal process in the NiFe/NiO bilayers, which is caused mainly by the magnetization rotation.