Magnetization reversal in exchange biased Co/CoO probed with anisotropic magnetoresistance

The magnetization reversal in exchange coupled polycrystalline Co/CoO bilayers has been investigated as a function of CoO thickness using anisotropic magnetoresistance as a probe. The anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) was measured during the magnetization reversal and it was used to determine the orientation of the magnetization. For thin CoO layers large training effects were present; ergo the first hysteresis loop after field cooling was not the same as the second. The magnitude of the observed training was found to decrease with increasing CoO thickness. In the samples where substantial training was observed, the first magnetization reversal was dominated by nucleation of reversed domains. For the reversal from the antiparallel state back to the parallel direction, the AMR is consistent with a rotation process. In thicker CoO films where the training was less, the asymmetry was drastically reduced. A simple model that couples the antiferromagnetic grains to the ferromagnetic layer simulates qualitatively the observed magnetoresistance. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.