Switching the in-plane easy axis by ion implantation in rare earth based magnetic films.

Ar(+) ions have been implanted into Laves phase epitaxial thin films of YFe(2) and DyFe(2). Magneto-optical Kerr effect and vibrating sample magnetometry experiments show that the easy and hard axes of magnetization in both materials rotate through an in-plane angle of 90°, whilst the strength of the magnetic anisotropy remains unaltered. This is supported by OOMMF computational modelling. Atomic force microscopy confirms that the film roughness is not affected by implanted ions. X-ray diffraction data show that the lattice parameter expands upon ion implantation, corresponding to a release of strain throughout the entire film following implantation with a critical fluence of 10(17) Ar(+) ions cm(-2). The anisotropy of the films is linked to the strain and from these data it is concluded that the source of anisotropy alters from one where magnetoelastic and magnetocrystalline effects compete to one which is governed solely by magnetocrystalline effects. The ability to locally tune the source of magnetic anisotropy without affecting the film surface and without inducing or eliminating anisotropy could be important in the fabrication of high density magnetic data storage media, spintronic devices and magneto-optical materials