Antiferromagnetic grain volume effects in metallic polycrystalline exchange bias systems

Gonzalo Vallejo Fernandez; L. E. Fernandez-Outon; K. O'Grady

doi:10.1088/0022-3727/41/11/112001

Antiferromagnetic grain volume effects in metallic polycrystalline exchange bias systems

Gonzalo Vallejo Fernandez, L. E. Fernandez-Outon, K. O'Grady

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

In this work we present a new interpretation of the role of the antiferromagnetic (AF) grain size in polycrystalline exchange bias thin films. It is found that at a finite temperature AF grains with sizes below a given critical volume V-C do not contribute to the loop displacement because they are not thermally stable. There is a second critical volume V-SET above which the AF grains cannot be set due to their anisotropy energy being too large. Therefore, only grains in the window between V-C and V-SET contribute to the loop displacement. Using this interpretation we can explain both the increase and the decrease in the exchange field with the AF grain size and the layer thickness.

Original language	English
Article number	112001
Pages (from-to)	1-5
Number of pages	5
Journal	Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
Volume	41
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/41/11/112001
Publication status	Published - 7 Jun 2008

Keywords

RANDOM-FIELD MODEL
THERMAL-STABILITY
THIN-FILMS
ANISOTROPY
BILAYERS
TEMPERATURE
DEPENDENCE
SIZE

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10.1088/0022-3727/41/11/112001

http://iopscience.iop.org/0022-3727/41/11/112001/

Cite this

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title = "Antiferromagnetic grain volume effects in metallic polycrystalline exchange bias systems",

abstract = "In this work we present a new interpretation of the role of the antiferromagnetic (AF) grain size in polycrystalline exchange bias thin films. It is found that at a finite temperature AF grains with sizes below a given critical volume V-C do not contribute to the loop displacement because they are not thermally stable. There is a second critical volume V-SET above which the AF grains cannot be set due to their anisotropy energy being too large. Therefore, only grains in the window between V-C and V-SET contribute to the loop displacement. Using this interpretation we can explain both the increase and the decrease in the exchange field with the AF grain size and the layer thickness.",

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AU - Vallejo Fernandez, Gonzalo

AU - Fernandez-Outon, L. E.

AU - O'Grady, K.

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N2 - In this work we present a new interpretation of the role of the antiferromagnetic (AF) grain size in polycrystalline exchange bias thin films. It is found that at a finite temperature AF grains with sizes below a given critical volume V-C do not contribute to the loop displacement because they are not thermally stable. There is a second critical volume V-SET above which the AF grains cannot be set due to their anisotropy energy being too large. Therefore, only grains in the window between V-C and V-SET contribute to the loop displacement. Using this interpretation we can explain both the increase and the decrease in the exchange field with the AF grain size and the layer thickness.

AB - In this work we present a new interpretation of the role of the antiferromagnetic (AF) grain size in polycrystalline exchange bias thin films. It is found that at a finite temperature AF grains with sizes below a given critical volume V-C do not contribute to the loop displacement because they are not thermally stable. There is a second critical volume V-SET above which the AF grains cannot be set due to their anisotropy energy being too large. Therefore, only grains in the window between V-C and V-SET contribute to the loop displacement. Using this interpretation we can explain both the increase and the decrease in the exchange field with the AF grain size and the layer thickness.

KW - RANDOM-FIELD MODEL

KW - THERMAL-STABILITY

KW - THIN-FILMS

KW - ANISOTROPY

KW - BILAYERS

KW - TEMPERATURE

KW - DEPENDENCE

KW - SIZE

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JO - Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics

JF - Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics

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ER -

Antiferromagnetic grain volume effects in metallic polycrystalline exchange bias systems

Abstract

Keywords

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