title: Low energy Ne ion beam induced-modifications of magnetic properties in MnAs thin films.
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 Trassinelli et al (2014 Appl. Phys. Lett. 104 081906), 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 in different conditions (applied magnetic field and temperatures) enable the film characterization to be completed. 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.
authors.affiliation: Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trassinelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernard Carlsson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cervera
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eddrief
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Etgens
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Gafton
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lacaze
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lamour
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lévy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macé
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prigent
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rozet
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steydli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marangolo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vernhet