Consequences of spin-flop coupling in exchange biased films

Using a microscopic Heisenberg model which includes magnetostatic interactions, the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation of motion is solved in order to study several magnetic properties of ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayers. For perfectly flat interfaces, it is shown that spin-flop coupling does not lead to exchange bias as has been proposed, but rather gives rise to a uniaxial anisotropy which in turn causes the large coercivities observed in exchange biased films. The introduction of interfacial defects leads to exchange bias of the coned order of magnitude. [S0031-9007(98)07656-X].