Magnetization reversal process in flat and patterned exchange-biased CoO/Co/Pd thin films

Nanostructured magnetic materials have gained great interest due to their possible technological applications in electronic and spintronic devices or in medicine as drug carriers. The key issue which decides on their potential industrial utilization is an exhibited type of a magnetization reversal process. Two main approaches used to describe the switching mechanism are the domain wall motion and coherent magnetization rotation, known as the Kondorsky and Stoner–Wohlfarth models, respectively. The reversal modes can be distinguished by angular measurements of hysteresis loops; however, in many experimental reports the dependencies do not precisely follow either of the models. This makes the question of how the magnetization reversal takes place and how to control or modify it one of the unclear and worth investigation issues in the research on magnetic materials. In this paper, we present our studies on the magnetization reversal in the exchange-biased CoO/Co/Pd thin films deposited on a flat substrate and on an array of anodized titanium oxide nanostructures. We studied the reversal mechanism using hysteresis loops and First-Order Reversal Curves. Interestingly, instead of the typical for the flat Co/Pd multilayers Kondorsky process, the system shows a crossover between the domain wall motion and the coherent rotation. A similar situation takes place for the pattern sample. Here, we connect this unusual behavior with the interface exchange interaction responsible for the exchange bias effect.