Phys. Rev. B 67, 104422 (2003) [8 pages]Phase diagrams and energy barriers of exchange-biased bilayers with additional anisotropies in the ferromagnetReceived 18 June 2002; revised 5 November 2002; published 21 March 2003 A general discussion of magnetization in exchange-biased bilayers with higher-order anisotropy contributions in an applied magnetic field is given. Allowed magnetic configurations for a ferromagnet in an applied magnetic field are shown in magnetic phase diagrams that illustrate competing effects of unidirectional, uniaxial, and fourfold anisotropies. The role and asymmetry of energy barriers during magnetization reversal are discussed in detail. A direct comparison with recent experimental results in epitaxial NiFe/FeMn bilayers is provided, and the influence of thermal activation on the magnetization reversal process is discussed. © 2003 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevB.67.104422
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevB.67.104422
PACS:
75.30.Gw, 75.70.-i, 75.60.Jk, 75.40.Mg
|
|
About | Terms and Conditions | Subscriptions | Search | Help
Use of the American Physical Society websites and journals implies that the user has read and agrees to our Terms and Conditions and any applicable Subscription Agreement. Physical Review®, Physical Review Letters®, Reviews of Modern Physics®, and Physical Review Special Topics® are trademarks of the American Physical Society.