Training effects and the microscopic magnetic structure of exchange biased Co/CoO bilayers

Journal Article · Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2000 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.373243· OSTI ID:20216221

Berger, A ^[1]; Felcher, G P ^[1]; Hill, B K ^[2]; Dahlberg, E Dan ^[2]

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1. Argonne National Laboratory, Materials Science Division, Bldg. 223, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)
2. University of Minnesota, Department of Physics, 116 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (United States)

Exchange bias of a partially oxidized thin film of ferromagnetic Co was studied by magnetization measurements and polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR). The magnetization curve shows strong effects of training with cycling of the magnetic field. Reflectivity measurements with the field parallel to the cooling field showed the onset of spin-dependent diffuse scattering--off the specular reflection--after a training cycle. Such scattering, of the Yoneda type, is due to misaligned Co domains possibly close to the Co/CoO interface. Subjecting the field cooled Co/CoO pair to a field perpendicular to the cooling field causes a rotation of the magnetization. The PNR measurements confirmed earlier susceptibility studies by indicating that the rotation of the magnetization is reversible in fields up to 400 Oe. The rotation of the magnetization of Co is uniform across the film thickness. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.

• OSTI ID: 20216221
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 87, Issue 9; Other Information: PBD: 1 May 2000; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COBALT
COBALT OXIDES
EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS
THIN FILMS
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
LAYERS
MAGNETIZATION
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA