Variation in ferromagnetic domain density and domain asymmetry in Fe/FeF2 exchange bias structures

S. Widuch, Z. Celinski, K. Balin, R. Schäfer, L. Schultz, D. Skrzypek, and J. McCord
Phys. Rev. B 77, 184433 – Published 30 May 2008

Abstract

The development of ferromagnetic domains in exchange-coupled ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic Fe(2.6nm)/FeF2(50nm) bilayers is studied by magneto-optical magnetometry and microscopy in a temperature range from 300 to 17 K. At room temperature, the cubic anisotropy of the single-crystal Fe can be clearly identified from the formation of characteristic domain patterns. With the onset of exchange bias, below the Néel temperature of FeF2, the density of the nuclei of patchlike magnetic domains continuously increases with increase in exchange bias and the congruent increase in coercivity. The increase in nucleation density is interpreted as a local increase in the density of pinned interfacial moments. As changes in the bulk antiferromagnetic structure are excluded from field history dependent measurements, the temperature dependent exchange bias is shown to be directly connected to a lateral inhomogeneous increase in the interfacial exchange coupling.

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  • Received 11 December 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.77.184433

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

S. Widuch1,2,3, Z. Celinski3, K. Balin1,3, R. Schäfer2, L. Schultz2, D. Skrzypek1, and J. McCord2,*

  • 1Department of Solid State Physics, August Chełkowski Institute of Physics, University of Silesia, 40-007 Katowice, Poland
  • 2Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research IFW Dresden, Postfach 270116, 01171 Dresden, Germany
  • 3Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918, USA

  • *j.mccord@ifw-dresden.de

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Issue

Vol. 77, Iss. 18 — 1 May 2008

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