Magnetic hysteresis induction with nanocolumnar defects in magnetic insulators

Harii, Kazuya*; Umeda, Maki ; Arisawa, Hiroki*; Hioki, Tomosato*; Sato, Nana   ; Okayasu, Satoru  ; Ieda, Junichi   

Magnetic property modification of an easy-plane magnetic insulator caused by an accumulation of nanocolumnar defects along the film normal was investigated by numerical simulations and heavy-ion beam irradiation experiments. Micromagnetic simulations suggest that depending on the density of the nonmagnetic nanocolumnar defects, the microstructure of the fragmented ferromagnetic domains is formed leading to magnetic coercivity enhancement as well as magnetization reduction. To prove this prediction, gold ions with 300 MeV were used for the irradiation to create amorphous nanocolumnar defects in crystalline bismuth-doped lutetium iron garnet (Bi:LuIG) films. As increasing the ion-irradiation dose, the modifications of the saturation magnetization and magnetic coercivity were observed in an uncorrelated manner; the enhancement of magnetic coercivity exhibits a fluence threshold whereas the decrease of saturation magnetization caused by ion-beam damage is monotonic with increasing beam fluence. These behaviors qualitatively agree with the numerical simulations and the models by continuum percolation theory. Because the irradiation effects are controlled by beam fluences, the present method has the potential to be a microstructuring technique for magnetic insulator.