  We report on the magnetic properties of thoroughly characterized Zn1-xCoxO
epitaxial thin films, with low Co concentration, x=0.003-0.005. Magnetic and
EPR measurements, combined with crystal field theory, reveal that isolated Co2+
ions in ZnO possess a strong single ion anisotropy which leads to an "easy
plane" ferromagnetic state when the ferromagnetic Co-Co interaction is
considered. We suggest that the peculiarities of the magnetization process of
this state can be viewed as a signature of intrinsic ferromagnetism in ZnO:Co
materials.
