Thermally driven asymmetric responses of grains versus spin-glass related distributions of blocking temperature in exchange biased Co/IrMn bilayers

Journal Article · Mon Feb 11 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4792347· OSTI ID:22162736

Baltz, V. ^[1]

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1. SPINTEC, UMR 8191 CNRS/INAC-CEA/UJF-Grenoble 1/Grenoble-INP, F-38054 Cedex (France)

Controlling ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic blocking temperatures in exchange biased based devices appears crucial for applications. The blocking temperature is ascribed to the ability of both antiferromagnetic grains and interfacial spin-glass-like phases to withstand ferromagnetic magnetization reversal. To better understand the respective contributions of grains versus spin-glass, blocking temperature distributions were measured after various thermal treatments for cobalt/iridium-manganese bilayers. The high-temperature contribution linked to antiferromagnetic grains shifts towards lower temperatures above a threshold thermal annealing. In contrast, the occurrence and evolution of training effects for the low-temperature contribution only agree with its inferred interfacial spin-glass-like origin.

• OSTI ID: 22162736
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 102, Issue 6; Other Information: (c) 2013 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANNEALING
ANTIFERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
ASYMMETRY
COBALT
DISTRIBUTION
EVOLUTION
EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
IRIDIUM ALLOYS
LAYERS
MAGNETIZATION
MANGANESE ALLOYS
SPIN GLASS STATE
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION