Reflectivity characterisation of ion irradiated exchange bias FeMn–FeNi films

Abstract X-ray reflectivity, neutron reflectivity studies and magneto-optic Kerr effect measurements (MOKE) have been carried out on thermally evaporated FeMn–FeNi exchange biased films before and after ion irradiation by helium ions. MOKE shows that ion irradiation reduces the exchange bias characteristics of the samples with increased dose. Modelling of the reflectivity data infers that atoms from the buffer layer are displaced by the ions and imbedded into the substrate material. The correlation between these strong structural modifications by irradiation with the reduction of the exchange bias will be discussed.