Abstract
It is shown that polarized neutron reflectometry can determine in a model-free way not only the mean magnetization of a ferromagnetic thin film at any point of a hysteresis cycle, but also the mean-square dispersion of the magnetization vectors of its lateral domains. This technique is applied to elucidate the mechanism of magnetization reversal of an exchange-biased Co/CoO bilayer. The reversal process above the blocking temperature is governed by uniaxial domain switching, while below the reversal of magnetization for the trained sample takes place with substantial domain rotation.
- Received 20 December 2001
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.65.224417
©2002 American Physical Society