Computersimulations of ferromagnetic - antiferromagnetic mulitlayers
Compound systems consisting of exchange coupled ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic
multilayers are examined within the framework of the domain state model
for exchange bias by means of Monte-Carlo simulations.
Initially, systems with uniaxial anisotropies as well as systems where the antiferromagnet
shows a twinned structure, with two easy axes then perpendicular
to each other, are investigated in order to explore the reversal mechanisms during
hysteresis.
In both cases, a systematic variation of the angle between the field axis and
one of the easy axes of the antiferromagnet reveals a rich variety of different
reversal modes. For the latter one, a distinctive dependence on the direction
of the cooling field is observed as well. For the characterization of the different
kinds of reversal modes, the analysis of the in-plane magnetization paths of the
ferromagnetic layer plays an important role. Also, the investigation of its corresponding
spin structures allows for a deeper insight into the reversal mechanism.
It is shown that experimentally observed asymmetries of the reversal modes in
corresponding multilayer systems can be explained within the context of the
domain state model.
Another part of this work deals with a more general aspect of the domain state
model itself, where it is shown that a bond-diluted antiferromagnet exchange
coupled to a ferromagnetic layer displays the same characteristic features as the
model where a site-diluted antiferromagnet is utilized. This supports the idea
that it is structural disorder which is crucial for exchange bias to occur in such
multilayers and the kind of disorder introduced plays only a secondary role.
Finally, an outlook of nanostructured systems is given. The dependence of
the exchange bias effect on the variation of the system size is investigated, where
in the first setup the lateral dimension of the ferromagnet is varied, while in the
second one the size of both the ferromagnet and the antiferromagnet is subject
to such a variation. In both cases, a connection between the domain structure
of the antiferromagnet and lateral size of the ferromagnet structure seems to be
apparent. However, approaching very small systems sizes the superparamagnetic
behavior demands for further investigations.
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