Switching behaviour of coupled antiferro- and ferromagnetic systems: exchange bias

The switching behaviour, under reversal of an external field, of a simple, ideal magnetic nanoparticle is studied and the interplay between antiferromagnets and ferromagnets elucidated. It is found that the switching between various multi- q ordering in fcc antiferromagnets (as found theoretically in NiO nanoparticles (Kodama and Berkowitz 1999 Phys. Rev. B 59 6321 and Lindgård 2003 J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 266 88)) in a field severely limits the exchange biasing potential. The interface between the different magnets is found to be that originally assumed by Meiklejohn and Bean (1956 Phys. Rev. 102 1413).