Magnetization reversal asymmetry in a structured ferromagnetic nanoparticle with varying shape anisotropy

Asymmetric hysteresis loops can be found in exchange-bias systems in which a ferromagnet is exchange-coupled with an antiferromagnet. In purely ferromagnetic samples, such effects can occur due to undetected minor loops or thermal effects. While the exchange bias is long established in hard-disk read/write heads and diverse spintronics applications, minor loops are sometimes used for the calculation of first order reversal curves (FORCs). Reports about their technological relevance, however, are scarce. Here we report on micromagnetic simulations of a nanoparticle with areas of varying height, consisting of tessellations of a defined area, in which the shape anisotropy in narrow higher lines opposes magnetization reversal stronger than in the larger, lower areas between, thus interacting similar to hard/soft magnetic materials although consisting of the same material and thus having identical magneto-crystalline anisotropy. After saturating this nanostructure by a strong magnetic field pulse, distinctly asymmetric, horizontally shifted hysteresis loops can be recognized, especially in the transverse magnetization component. We show the influence of the external magnetic field orientation on this asymmetry.