Abstract
The behavior of submicron exchange bias square elements has been investigated for systems containing metallic polycrystalline layers. Numerical simulations using a simple theoretical model show that the exchange bias for such elements can increase and/or decrease depending on the microstructure of the antiferromagnetic layer and, in particular, its grain size distribution. The predictions are based on a granular model of exchange bias that accounts for grain cutting at the edges of the nanoelements that takes place during ion milling/etching. This leads to distributions of exchange bias fields that can be quite broad, especially in sub-250 nm elements.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 262508 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-3 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Applied Physics Letters |
Volume | 94 |
Issue number | 26 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 29 Jun 2009 |