Low energy Ne ion beam induced-modifications of magnetic properties in MnAs thin films

TL;DR

This study explores how slow heavy ion irradiation modifies the magnetic properties of MnAs thin films, revealing local phase changes and hysteresis suppression through combined microscopic and magnetization measurements.

Contribution

It demonstrates that ion irradiation creates local regions with distinct magneto-structural phases, contributing to hysteresis suppression in MnAs thin films.

Findings

Ion bombardment induces regions with different mechanical constraints.

Local magnetic features are observed near phase transition temperatures.

Hysteresis suppression is linked to irradiation-induced defects acting as phase transition seeds.

Abstract

Investigations of the complex behavior of the magnetization of manganese arsenide thin films due to defects induced by irradiation of slow heavy ions are presented. In addition to the thermal hysteresis suppression already highlighted in M. Trassinelli et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 104, 081906 (2014), we report here on new local magnetic features recorded by a magnetic force microscope at different temperatures close to the characteristic sample phase transition. Complementary measurements of the global magnetization measurements in different conditions (applied magnetic field and temperatures) enable to complete the film characterization. The obtained results suggest that the ion bombardment produces regions where the local mechanical constraints are significantly different from the average, promoting the local presence of magneto-structural phases far from the equilibrium. These regions could be responsible for the thermal hysteresis suppression previously reported, irradiation-induced defects acting as seeds in the phase transition.