Imprinting Domain Wall into Antiferromagnet.
Abstract
We have shown that it is possible to imprint a domain wall (DW) structure from a ferromagnet (FM) into an antiferromagnet (AF). The Fe/FeF2 bilayers are grown by e-beam evaporation, with 12-30 nm of Fe, and 90 nm FeF_2. Magnetization loops are measured in the field range between -6 kOe and 6 kOe. When the sample is field cooled at 2 kOe from 150 K across the T_N=78 K, standard exchange bias (EB) shifted magnetization loops are observed below T_N. For the remanence cooled samples, the magnetization at zero applied magnetic field returns to the value close to the initial remanent magnetization, at temperatures well below T_N. When T is close to T_N, the effect is washed out, and completely disappears above T_N. The effect is reproducible upon recooling under the same initial condition. The observed phenomenon is attributed to imprinting the initial DW structure of the FM into the AF, and freezing it in upon cooling through the T_N. At temperatures well below the T_N, the DW in the AF is unaffected by the applied magnetic field. When the applied magnetic field is small or zero, the EB interaction forces the DW structure in the FM into the initial configuration.
- Publication:
-
APS March Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- March 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004APS..MARW27009S