Field orientation dependent decorrelation of magnetization reversal in uniaxial Co-films

Abstract

Magnetization reversal correlation is studied as a function of the applied field angle for thin Co-films showing in-plane uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy. We find that the field orientation angle has a profound effect onto the magnetization reversal process leading to a suppression of long-range correlation at sufficiently large field angles in the presence of grain alignment disorder. Correspondingly, this behavior allows for a tuning and the local confinement of magnetization reversal even in strongly exchange-coupled films and therefore presents a most desirable scenario for ultrahigh density magnetic recording.