Temperature dependence of the reversal mechanism in spin-valve films

The thermal behavior of spin valves (SVs) and exchange-coupled films has be en investigated by in situ experiments in a Lorentz microscope. In situ mag netizing combined with in situ heating experiments have been performed duri ng observation of the magnetization reversal of SV materials. A clear demon stration of the thermal effect on the reversal of the free layer is shown a s well as a decrease of the exchange-bias pinning with increasing temperatu re. This latter effect results in the switching of the pinned layer near th e blocking temperature. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951 (99)02135-X].