Controlling the canted state in antiferromagnetically coupled magnetic bilayers close to the spin reorientation transition

Abstract

Canted magnetization is obtained in ultrathin, antiferromagnetically coupled magnetic bilayers with thicknesses around the spin reorientation transition. The canting angle is controlled by both the magnetic layer thickness and interlayer coupling strength, which are tuned independently. Hysteresis loops are obtained, where magnetization components parallel and transverse to the applied field are measured, and analyzed by comparison to micromagnetic simulations. This enables the canting angle to be extracted and the behavior of the individual layers to be distinguished. Two types of canted systems are obtained with either single-layer reversal or complex, coupled two-layer reversal, under moderate external magnetic fields. Controlling the magnetization canting and reversal behavior of ultra-thin layers is relevant for the development of magnetoresistive random-access memory and spin-torque oscillator devices.