Tunable magnetization reversal in epitaxial bcc Fe(sub 1-x)Co(sub x) films on vicinal surfaces

The phase diagrams for magnetic reversal in bcc Fe(sub 1-x)Co(sub x) on vicinal Sc(sub 1-y)Er(sub y)As/GaAs(100) are explored by tuning the relative strength of the uniaxial anisotropy. The first jump in the reversal process occurs at positive magnetic fields, when the anisotropy has a local maximum, and as the angle between the in-plane magnetic field and the hard axis increases, this jump crosses over to continuous rotation.