We have determined the magnetic properties of epitaxially grown Dy islands on graphene/SiC(0001) that are passivated by a gold film (deposited in the ultra-high vacuum growth chamber) for {it ex-situ} X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). Our sum-rule analysis of the Dy $M_{4,5}$ XMCD spectra at low temperatures ($T=15$ K) as a function of magnetic field assuming Dy$^{3+}$ (spin configuration $^6H_{15/2}$) indicate that the projection of the magnetic moment along an applied magnetic field of 5 T is 3.5(3) $mu_B$. Temperature dependence of the magnetic moment (extracted from the $M_5$ XMCD spectra) shows an onset of a change in magnetic moment at about 175 K in proximity of the transition from paramagnetic to helical magnetic structure at $T_{rm H} =179$ K in bulk Dy. No feature at the vicinity of the ferromagnetic transition of hcp bulk Dy at $T_{rm c}$ = 88 K is observed. However, below $sim$130 K, the inverse magnetic moment (extracted from the XMCD) is linear in temperature as commonly expected from a paramagnetic system suggesting different behavior of Dy nano-island than bulk Dy.
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