Abstract:
An intermetallic or iron aluminide magnetically readable medium and a method of forming and reading the same are provided herein. Also provided is an identification card or tag, a key, an anti- counterfeiting measure, an anti-forging measure. The intermetallic or iron aluminide magnetically readable medium includes a magnetically readable surface, wherein the magnetically readable surface contains one or more first magnetically readable regions of the intermetallic or iron aluminide surrounded by one or more second magnetically readable regions of lower magnetism. Additionally, the intermetallic or iron aluminide magnetically readable medium can be coated, encapsulated or concealed within a material. By forming deformation induced localized magnetism (DILM) regios within a paramagnetic intermetallic material like iron aluminide, DILM regions having a higher magnetic reading than the surrounding paramagnetic material regions are created.