Rotational hysteresis of exchange-spring magnets

We highlight our experimental studies and micromagnetic simulations of the rotational hysteresis in exchange-spring magnets. Magneto-optical imaging and torque magnetometry measurements for Sm–Co/Fe exchange-spring films with uniaxial in-plane anisotropy show that the magnetization rotation created in the magnetically soft Fe layer by a rotating magnetic field is hysteretic. The rotational hysteresis is due to the reversal of the chirality of the spin spiral structure. Micromagnetic simulations reveal two reversal modes of the chirality, one at low fields due to an in-plane untwisting of the spiral, and the other, at high fields, due to an out-of-plane fanning of the spiral.