Antisymmetric magnetoresistance in SmCo₅ amorphous films with imprinted in-plane magnetic anisotropy

We report on magnetoresistance measurements in SmCo₅ amorphous films with a giant imprinted magnetic anisotropy. At low applied field parallel to the easy axis, the magnetoresistance exhibits a hysteretic, square, and antisymmetric shape. The antisymmetry in the magnetoresistance is a result of the non-uniform distribution of the magnetization direction over the sample in conjunction with the extraordinary Hall effect. Moreover, the combination of anisotropic magnetoresistance measurements and magnetic domain imaging demonstrates that the symmetry depends on the magnetization orientation with respect to the applied field.