Magnetization reversal in CoPt(111) hard/soft bilayers

The magnetization reversal in magnetron sputtered CoPt(111) hard/soft bilayers has been studied by polarized neutron reflectometry and magnetization measurements. The stability of the hard layer is tuned by the heat-treatment conditions which are used to crystallize the chemically ordered, high anisotropy, L10 phase. All the samples show the same features in their first order reversal curves but the lateral domain size during the magnetization reversal of the soft layer differs. In samples with strong intergrain coupling it exceeds the coherence length of the neutron beam, resulting in spin-flip scattering. In contrast, the hard layer reversal occurs through the reorientation in small domains.