Abstract
The present study demonstrates the modification of magnetic anisotropy in cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) thin films induced by swift heavy ion irradiations of 200MeV Ag-ion beams. The study reveals that both magnetizations and coercive field are sensitive to Ag-ions irradiation and to the fluences. The magnetic anisotropy enhanced at low fluence of Ag-ions due to domain wall pinning at defect sites created by ion bombardment and at high fluence, this magnetic anisotropy ceases and changes to isotropic behavior which is explained based on the significant structural and morphological changes. An X-ray absorption and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism studies confirms the inverse spinel structure of these compounds.
•CoFe2O4 thin films have been deposited on Silicon substrate by pulsed laser deposition technique.•Swift heavy ion irradiation of thin films at three different fluences.•Studied the structural and magnetic properties of the samples.•XRD and Raman studies indicate strain in the films.•Observed perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.