Anomalous exchange bias behavior of NiFe/NiO bilayers induced by high-energy Xe+ ion irradiation

Abstract

The alteration of the microstructure and magnetic performance of an exchange bias system, induced by ion irradiation, adversely affects the practical application of spintronic/storage devices in extreme environments. Here, we report systematically the correlation between static and dynamic magnetism and microstructure changes in NiFe/NiO exchange-biased bilayers after high-energy Xe+ ion irradiation. The effect of cascade collision induced by irradiation on exchange bias is studied through Monte Carlo simulations. It is distinguished from the traditional modification caused by keV-level ion irradiation. At low doses, the transition from amorphous to recrystallization occurs in the NiFe layer and the anomalous exchange bias behavior is induced. A step-like structure appears in the magnetic hysteresis loop and the step gradually shifts downward as the dose increases. At high doses, the exchange bias effect is suppressed due to the disordered antiferromagnetic moment caused by heat accumulation during cascade collision, which significantly decreases the thermal stability of the sample by 5–6 times. In addition, the non-monotonic evolution of high-frequency magnetic properties is observed with increasing irradiation doses. This work provides important foundational data for designing future spintronic/memory devices to enhance radiation tolerance and stability.