Modeling exchange bias microscopically

Exchange bias is a horizontal shift of the hysteresis loop observed for a ferromagnetic layer in contact with an antiferromagnetic layer. Since exchange bias is related to the spin structure of the antiferromagnet, for its fundamental understanding a detailed knowledge of the physics of the antiferromagnetic layer is inevitable. A model is investigated where domains are formed in the volume of the AFM stabilized by dilution. These domains become frozen during the initial cooling procedure carrying a remanent net magnetization which causes and controls exchange bias. Varying the anisotropy of the antiferromagnet, we find a non-trivial dependence of the exchange bias on the anisotropy of the antiferromagnet. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.