Engineering double-shifted hysteresis loops in Co/IrMn/Cu/Co films

Abstract

Co 3 nm /IrMn 15 nm /Cu dCu /Co 7 nm films were subjected to magnetic annealing where its temperature and duration as well as the direction and amplitude of the applied field were varied. We demonstrate that the exchange-bias field magnitude and sign of the subloop of the bottom-pinned Co layer can be tailored in a controlled manner allowing the whole hysteresis loop to be tuned from a double negatively/negatively shifted to a double negatively/positively shifted with the shifts of the subloops in antiphase.