https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/20134008002
Ga+ ion irradiation-induced changes in magnetic anisotropy of a Pt/Co/Pt thin film studied by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism
1
Photon Factory & Condensed Matter Research Center,
Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator
Research Organization, 305-0801
Tsukuba,
Japan
2
Department of Physics, University of
Bialystok, 15-424
Białystok, Poland
3
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf,
01328
Dresden,
Germany
4
Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of
Sciences, 02-668
Warszawa,
Poland
Ga+ ion irradiation-induced changes in magnetic anisotropy of a Pt/Co/Pt ultrathin film are investigated by means of the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) technique. A large difference in the Co orbital moment is observed between out-of-plane and in-plane directions of the film at moderate Ga+ fluences of ~1-2×1014 ions/cm2, which corresponds to the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), while further increased fluences reduce the orbital moment difference, resulting in in-plane magnetization. In contrast, at much higher Ga+ fluences of ~5×1015 ions/cm2, at which PMA is observed again, no significant difference is found in the orbital moment of Co between out-of-plane and in-plane directions. Different origins are thus suggested for the appearance of PMA induced by the irradiation between moderate and high Ga+ fluences.
© Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2013
