Abstract
Bilayers of SmCo/NiFe and SmCo/Co with well-defined in-plane uniaxial anisotropy were grown by dc magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. The magnetization reversal process was investigated by magneto-optic Kerr effect from both sides of the samples, obtaining the hard and soft response separately. The NiFe layers turn out to be exchange coupled to the SmCo films and, for soft layer thicknesses above 30 nm, display reversible demagnetization loops expected from exchange-spring magnets. The experimental NiFe magnetization curve is in good agreement with the theoretical curve obtained by minimizing the magnetic energy in the soft film for an ideal hard/soft bilayer. The soft layer critical thickness above which the exchange spring behavior sets up and its presumed independence on soft layer characteristics are discussed, by comparing the two systems under investigation. We find that SmCo/Co does not fulfil the predictions of the currently accepted theories and that the magnetization reversal of the bilayer is dominated by the Co layer. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
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