On the Field Dependence of the Interface Energy in Af/FM Bilayers

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the interface energy in antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic bilayers depends on the external magnetic field, explaining discrepancies in experimental measurements through a microscopic model that includes interface roughness effects.

Contribution

It introduces a simple microscopic model demonstrating the field dependence of interface energy in AF/FM bilayers, accounting for experimental discrepancies.

Findings

Interface energy varies with external magnetic field.

Model incorporates interface roughness effects.

Supports recent anisotropic magnetoresistance observations.

Abstract

In the investigations of antiferromagnetic (AF)/ ferromagnetic (FM) bilayer samples, often distinct experimental techniques yield different values for the measured exchange anisotropy field (HE). We propose that the observed discrepancy may be accounted in part by the dependence of the unidirectional anisotropy with the value of the external applied field (h). Using a simple microscopic model for representing the AF/FM interface, which incorporates the effect of interface roughness, we show that the interface energy between the AF and FM layer indeed varies with h, as recently observed in anisotropic magnetoresistance measurements, lending support to our proposal.