Influence of radiation exposure on the magnetic properties of feromagnetic/IrMn films with exchange bias

In this work, the effect of the action of gamma quanta and neutrons on the magnetic properties of Ta/feromagnet/IrMn/Ta bilayer films with an exchange bias of the hysteresis loop is studied. The samples were fabricated by magnetron sputtering, and their structure was studied by small-angle X-ray reflectometry and X-ray diffractometry. The measurement of the magnetic hysteresis loops of the irradiated and non-irradiated samples was carried out by the methods of magneto-optical Kerr magnetometry. As a result, the effect of broadening of the magnetic hysteresis loop after irradiation was found. The maximum broadening of the hysteresis loop was observed in the NiFe/IrMn film under neutron irradiation; in this case, the loop width increased by more than 2.5 times. No noticeable change in the field of the exchange bias of the hysteresis loops was observed in the entire range of radiation exposure.