Origin of asymmetric reversal modes in ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic multilayers

TL;DR

This paper investigates the origin of asymmetric reversal modes in ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic multilayers, revealing that the reversal symmetry depends on the angle between the antiferromagnet's easy axis and the applied magnetic field.

Contribution

It demonstrates through numerical modeling that the reversal mode asymmetry is controlled by the angle between the easy axis and the magnetic field.

Findings

Reversal symmetry depends on the angle between easy axis and magnetic field.

Asymmetry can lead to zero perpendicular magnetization.

Reversal mode varies from symmetric to asymmetric based on angle.

Abstract

Experimentally an asymmetry of the reversal modes has been found in certain exchange bias systems. From a numerical investigation of the domain state model evidence is gained that this effect depends on the angle between the easy axis of the antiferromagnet and the applied magnetic field. Depending on this angle the ferromagnet reverses either symmetrically, e. g. by a coherent rotation on both sides of the loop, or the reversal is asymmetric with a non uniform reversal mode for the ascending branch, which may even yield a zero perpendicular magnetization.