Proximity Effect and Spontaneous Vortex Phase in Planar SF-Structures

Abstract

The proximity effect in SF structures was examined. It is shown that, due to the oscillations of the induced superconducting order parameter in a ferromagnet, the critical temperature of an SF-bilayer becomes minimal when the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer is close to a quarter of the period of spatial oscillations. It is found that the spontaneous vortex state arisen in the superconductor due to the proximity of the magnetic domain structure of a ferromagnet brings about noticeable magnetoresistive effects.