MAGNETIZATION PROCESSES IN CO-CR SUBMICRON SAMPLES - HALL MEASUREMENTS AND MICROMAGNETIC SIMULATIONS

The magnetization reversal of Co-Cr with perpendicular anisotropy is s tudied by anomalous Hall effect measurements and by micromagnetic simu lations. In a measured hysteresis loop of a 300 nmX300 nm sample (cons isting of approximately 40 columns of Co-Cr), discrete jumps are obser ved, together with a more or less continuous change in magnetization, the latter with both positive and negative sign. The continuous and di screte parts of the hysteresis loop are separated to extract micromagn etic information from the anomalous Hall measurement. The discrete jum ps are attributed to parts of columns that switch irreversibly, the co ntinuous magnetization change is attributed to reversible rotation, pa rtly of volumes with in-plane anisotropy. These assumptions are checke d by means of a micromagnetic model.