STRESS EFFECTS ON THE MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF FEMN AND NIMN SPIN VALVES

The effects of stress on exchange coupling field, H-ex, coercivity, H- c, and pinning field, H-p, in NiFe/FeMn and NiFe/NiMn exchange-biased spin valves deposited using ion beam sputtering have been examined. Th e samples were uniaxially strained (compressive and tensile) along the easy and hard axis directions. The hysteresis loops of the stressed s pin valves were measured in situ along the easy and hard axes using a vibrating sample magnetometer. It is found that the NiFe/FeMn spin val ves are more susceptible to the effects of stress than NiFe/NiMn, with the most significant effects occurring along the hard axis. In additi on to being less susceptible to the effects of stress, NiFe/NiMn spin valves displayed more isotropic effects to the stress along the easy a nd hard axis directions.