Modeling exchange bias microscopically

Abstract

Exchange bias is a horizontal shift of the hysteresis loop observed for a ferromagnetic layer in contact with an antiferromagnetic layer. Since exchange bias is related to the spin structure of the antiferromagnet, for its fundamental understanding a detailed knowledge of the physics of the antiferromagnetic layer is inevitable. A model is investigated where domains are formed in the volume of the AFM stabilized by dilution. These domains become frozen during the initial cooling procedure carrying a remanent net magnetization which causes and controls exchange bias. Varying the anisotropy of the antiferromagnet we find a nontrivial dependence of the exchange bias on the anisotropy of the antiferromagnet.