Antiferromagnetic layer thickness dependence of the IrMn/Co exchange-bias system

M. Ali; C. H. Marrows; M. Al-Jawad; B. J. Hickey; A. Misra; U. Nowak; K. D. Usadel

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.68.214420

Antiferromagnetic layer thickness dependence of the IrMn/Co exchange-bias system

M. Ali, C. H. Marrows, M. Al-Jawad, B. J. Hickey, A. Misra, U. Nowak, and K. D. Usadel

Phys. Rev. B 68, 214420 – Published 16 December 2003

Abstract

A study of exchange bias in IrMn/Co systems is presented. Temperature and thickness dependence studies have revealed nonmonotonic behavior in both exchange bias field and coercivity with both variables. In particular the exchange bias field shows a peak for low IrMn thicknesses that is suppressed at temperatures higher than about 200 K. Calculations using the domain state model of exchange biasing are able to describe all the features seen in the experimental data.

Received 22 January 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.68.214420

Authors & Affiliations

M. Ali^*, C. H. Marrows, M. Al-Jawad, and B. J. Hickey

Department of Physics and Astronomy, E. C. Stoner Laboratory, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom

A. Misra^†, U. Nowak, and K. D. Usadel

Theoretische Tieftemperaturphysik, Gerhard-Mercator-Universität Duisburg, 47048 Duisburg, Germany

^*Email address: phyma@phys-irc.leeds.ac.uk; URL: http://www.stoner.leeds.ac.uk
^†Present address: Department of Physics and Astronomy and MINT Center, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.

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Vol. 68, Iss. 21 — 1 December 2003

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covering condensed matter and materials physics