Anisotropic photo-induced magnetism of a Rb_j Co_k [Fe(CN)₆]_l cdot n H₂ O thin film

A magneto-optically active thin film of Rb$_{j}$Co$_{k}$[Fe(CN)$_{6}$]$_{l}$ $\cdot$$n$H$_{2}$O has been prepared using a sequential assembly method. Upon irradiation with light and at 5 K, the net magnetization of the film increased when the surface of the film was oriented parallel to the external magnetic field of 0.1 T. However, when the surface of the film was perpendicular to the field, the net magnetization \emph{decreased} upon irradiation. The presence of dipolar fields and the low-dimensional nature of the system are used to describe the orientation dependence of the photo-induced magnetization. The ability to increase or decrease the photo-induced magnetization by changing the orientation of the system with respect to the field is a new phenomenon that may be useful in future device applications.