Strong influence of a magnetic layer on the critical current of Nb   bridge in finite magnetic fields due to surface barrier effect
  We measured the critical current of the bilayer Nb/Co in the applied magnetic field. When the magnetic field was tilted to the axis which was perpendicular to the plane of the bilayer we observed a large difference in critical currents flowing in opposite directions. We found that the largest critical current of the bilayer exceeded the critical current of the superconductor without Co layer in a wide range of the tilted magnetic fields. The theory which takes into account the surface barrier effect for vortex entry and magnetic field of the magnetic layer gave a quantitative explanation of our experimental results. 
D. Y. Vodolazov, B. A. Gribkov, A. Yu. Klimov, V. V. Rogov and S. N.   Vdovichev