Detection of field-dependent antiferromagnetic domains in exchange-biased Fe[sub 3]O[sub 4]/NiO superlattices

Abstract

Neutron diffraction studies of [Math Processing Error]superlattices reveal that the field dependence of domains in the antiferromagnetic NiO is correlated with the presence or absence of exchange biasing. Measurements of the full width at half maximum of the (111) NiO reflection show that after cooling in zero field, the antiferromagnetic domain size both parallel and perpendicular to the growth axis is sensitive to the strength of the applied field. In contrast, after cooling from room temperature in a field of 5 T, the domain size is generally smaller than the zero-field-cooled value and does not vary with field. These data suggest that exchange biasing originates from domain walls frozen into the antiferromagnet upon field cooling.

Publisher

AIP Publishing

Publication Date

1-1-2000

Publication Title

Applied Physics Letters

Department

Physics and Astronomy

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1333684

Language

English

Format

text

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