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MA: Magnetismus
MA 8: Magnetische Kopplungsph
änomene / Exchange Bias
MA 8.12: Talk
Monday, March 24, 2003, 18:00–18:15, HSZ/405
Transverse MOKE as a probe of asymmetric magnetization reversal in exchange bias bilayers — •B. Beschoten1, A. Tillmanns1, G. Güntherodt1, J. Eisenmenger2, I.K. Schuller2, C. Leighton3, and J. Nogués4 — 12. Physikalisches Institut, RWTH Aachen, 52056 Aachen — 2Department of Physics, UC San Diego, USA — 3Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, USA — 4Departament de Fisica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
The magnetization reversal in exchange bias systems has been measured by means of a magnetooptic Kerr setup using both longitudinal and transverse configurations. The asymmetry of the hysteresis loops, i.e. coherent rotation of the magnetization vs. domain nucleation and propagation processes, has been tested in exchange coupled Fe/MnF2 bilayers on the same samples studied before using polarized neutron reflectometry [1,2]. Coherent rotation of the magnetization can clearly be identified by a transverse Kerr component. In order to explore the origin of the asymmetric magnetization reversal, we systematically investigated the dependence of the reversal on the cooling field orientation of the ferromagnetic layer relative to the easy axis of the antiferromagnetic layer.
Work supported by DFG through SPP 1133, grant no. BE 2441/2-1.
[1] M. R. Fitzsimmons et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 3986 (2000).
[2] C. Leighton et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 4394 (2001).