Experimental evidence for the role of nonuniform modes in the asymmetric magnetization reversal of a Ni/NiO system

Experimental evidence for the relevance of nonuniform reversal modes to asymmetric magnetization reversal is shown in a Ni/NiO polycrystalline system. The angular dependence of the asymmetry, exchange bias, and coercive field is studied as a function of NiO structural disorder and thickness. The contribution of nonuniform reversal modes and coherent rotation to the magnetization reversal depends on the angle between the applied field and the ferromagnetic easy axis. We observe two distinct critical angles revealing the significant role of nonuniform magnetization reversal in the asymmetry and its angular dependence.