Effect of non-magnetic substitution on the structural and magnetic properties of spinel cobalt ferrite (CoFe2−xAlxO4) ceramics

One set of CoFe_2?xAl_xO₄ (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4) ceramics in single domain range and another set in multi domain range were prepared by sintering at 400 and 800 °C respectively. Rietveld refinement of XRD patterns revealed that samples are mixed spinel structure and crystallize to $ Fd\bar{3}m $ space group with cubic symmetry. The lattice constant and crystallite size decrease with the increase in Al³⁺ concentration. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study confirms the spinel structure of the samples. Particle size distribution for all samples has been studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, thermogravimetric analysis was performed to determine the sintering temperature. The saturation magnetization has been analyzed by the “law of approach ” technique. Saturation magnetization, coercivity and magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant are found to decrease with the increase in Al³⁺ ion concentration which is due to the non-magnetic impurity in the magnetic matrix.     

Evolution With Temperature of the Magnetic Anisotropy of Ba Ferrite Particles

The magnetic anisotropy of pure and Co/Ti-doped Ba ferrite particles is analyzed through the evaluation of the dependence on temperature of the constants of magnetocrystalline and shape anisotropy, which both are present in the platelet-like Ba ferrite particles with hexagonal structure. In undoped Ba ferrite, the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant is predominant on the conflicting shape anisotropy constant at all temperatures, which indicates that the magnetic anisotropy is uniaxial, with preferred direction for the magnetization along the c axis of the hexagonal particles. In doped particles, where the magnetocrystalline anisotropy is weakened by the ionic substitutions, while at high temperatures the magnetic anisotropy is substantially uniaxial with c as axis of easy magnetization, when the temperature decreases, the shape anisotropy constant becomes larger than the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant, and consequently, the magnetic anisotropy is not uniaxial, but it presents multiple preferred directions for the magnetization.     

Fabrication of Metallic Magnetic Calorimeter for Radionuclide Analysis

We present a detailed report on the fabrication process of a metallic magnetic calorimeter (MMC). The MMC is configured in a planar geometry with a meander-shaped pickup coil covered with a Au:Er temperature sensor layer. The meander coil is used to apply a magnetic field to magnetize the erbium ions and to measure the magnetization change of the spin system. The MMC is designed to have a large area (1 mm \(^2\) ) and 3  \(\upmu \) m thickness Au:Er layer, which is suited for large metal absorbers with a few nJ/K heat capacity in radionuclide analysis applications. The completed devices are used in alpha and Q spectrometries.     

Trends of Parallel Microstructure and Magnetic Properties Evolution in Co0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4

The present paper reports on an effort to expose and scientifically explain the microstructure–magnetic properties relationship as they evolve with increasing sintering temperature. Mechanical alloying was used to prepare cobalt–zinc ferrite nanoparticles with sintering temperature from 800 to 1,350 °C with 50 °C increment. The microstructure of the samples was observed using a field emission scanning electron microscope, and the magnetic parameters, such as the real permeability and loss factor, were measured at room temperature in the frequency range from 10 MHz to 1.0 GHz using an Agilent 4291B impedance/material analyzer. The B–H hysteresis of the samples was investigated using a MATS-2010SD Static Hysteresisgraph. From the results, the real permeability and loss factor were observed to increase up to 1,250 °C. These increases corresponded to increases in grain size and are mainly due to easier domain wall movement. However, due to zinc loss, \(\mu ^{\prime }\) and \(\mu ^{\prime \prime }\) as well as the saturation induction decreased from 1,300 to 1,350 °C. The coercivity increased up to 850 °C and decreased with increasing temperature. This increasing-to-decreasing coercivity trend corresponded well with the single- to multi-domain grain size transition marked by critical grain size at about 0.13 μm.     

Small-Angle Neutron Scattering by the Magnetic Microstructure of Nanocrystalline Ferromagnets Near Saturation

The paper presents a theoretical analysis of elastic magnetic small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) due to the nonuniform magnetic microstructure in nanocrystalline ferromagnets. The reaction of the magnetization to the magnetocrystalline and magnetoelastic anisotropy fields is derived using the theory of micromagnetics. In the limit where the scattering volume is a single magnetic domain, and the magnetization is nearly aligned with the direction of the magnetic field, closed form solutions are given for the differential scattering cross-section as a function of the scattering vector and of the magnetic field. These expressions involve an anisotropy field scattering function, that depends only on the Fourier components of the anisotropy field microstructure, not on the applied field, and a micromagnetic response function for SANS, that can be computed from tabulated values of the materials parameters saturation magnetization and exchange stiffness constant or spin wave stiffness constant. Based on these results, it is suggested that the anisotropy field scattering function S_H can be extracted from experimental SANS data. A sum rule for S_H suggests measurement of the volumetric mean square anisotropy field. When magnetocrystalline anisotropy is dominant, then a mean grain size or the grain size distribution may be determined by analysis of S_H.     

Temperature Dependence of Magnetic Parameters in FePt Nanoparticles

Here, particular focus is placed on the atomic alignment and the order–disorder phase transition of the FePt alloy with the aid of a model that can describe realistic phenomena. Here, we present a method to study the order–disorder phenomena of FePt alloys. We will discuss the increase in the coercivity of FePt nanoparticles by an increasing annealing temperature for annealed FePt nanoparticles. According to the experimental evidence, we will present a model for explaining spin-glass-like behavior of these particles during the annealing procedure. In the phase transition from disordered FCC to ordered FCT in FePt nano-particles can be treated by first-order phase transitions. So, the mean field approach can be used in order to model this kind of phase transition. In nanoparticles, which are synthetized by sol–gel methods, the short range parameter is predominant because in these kinds of preparations, the long range order takes a lot of time to happen. By using a short range parameter, we are able to use the mean field approach, which considers the diffusion of atoms to the near neighborhood sites. The effects of random exchange and random magnetocrystalline anisotropy are known as the main results of coercivity reduction in magnetic nanoparticles. These effects are strongly dependent to the annealing temperature of nanoparticles. During disorder–order transition, these two effects are max. As transition continues, these effects vanish and coercivity of nanoparticles increases. Here, we will add these two effects to the Hamiltonian of the FePt system. With increasing the annealing temperature, the fraction of the FePt nanoparticles with a FCC disordered phase vanishes, which leads to decrease in the amount of 〈j〉. During the annealing process, the $\frac{c}{a}$ ratio varies as a function of the annealing temperature. The relation between the $\frac{c}{a}$ ratio and the annealing temperature is derived. The derived $\frac{c}{a}$ ratio and coercivity formulas are compared with experimental results. The results are in a good agreement with experimental data.     

Magnetic Properties of Interacting La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 Nanoparticles

Magnetic nanoparticles of La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ (LSMO) with mean particle sizes of 13, 16, 18, and 21 nm were prepared by the sol?Cgel method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) using Rietveld refinement and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) transmission spectroscopy revealed that stretching and bending modes are influenced by annealing temperature. Dc magnetization versus magnetic field of the samples was carried out at room temperature. Magnetic dynamics of the samples was studied by the measurement of ac magnetic susceptibility versus temperature at different frequencies and ac magnetic fields. A frequency-dependent peak was observed in ac magnetic susceptibility versus temperature which is well described by Vogel?CFulcher and critical slowing down laws, and empirical $c_{1} = \frac{\Delta T_{f}}{T_{f}\Delta (\log _{10}f)}$ and $c_{2} = \frac{T_{f} -T_{0}}{T_{f}}$ parameters. By fitting the experimental data with Vogel?CFulcher magnetic anisotropy energy and an effective magnetic anisotropy constant have been estimated. The obtained values support the presence of strong interaction between magnetic nanoparticles of LSMO.     

Crystallographic and magnetic investigation on W-type-hexaferrite single crystals in the solid solution series SrZn2-xCoxFe16O27

The saturation magnetization and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy were measured on single crystals in the solid solution series SrZn2-xCoxFe16O27(SrZn2-xCox-W) at 298 K and 6 K. Lattice constants and Curie-temperatures are also given as a function of the composition. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy changes from uniaxial to planar dependent on temperature and cobalt substitution atx approx 0.5for 6 K andx approx 0.85for 298 K. The six-fold anisotropy in the basal plane of the planar W-hexaferrites increases strongly with increasing cobalt content. Crystals with a low Co substitution (x = 0.33 and 0.67) have an anomalous discontinuity in their hard direction magnetization curves; indicating a first-order magnetization process.     

Magnetic Properties of Nanocrystalline Nickel–Cobalt Ferrites (\mathrm{Ni}_{1/2}{\mathrm{{Co}}}_{1/2}{\mathrm{{Fe}}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4})

In this study, the nanocrystalline nickel–cobalt ferrites $(\mathrm{Ni}_{1/2}\mathrm{Co}_{1/2}\mathrm{Fe}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{4})$ were prepared via the citrate route method at $27\,^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$ . The samples were calcined at $300\,^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$ for 3 h. The crystalline structure and the single-phase formations were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Prepared materials showed the cubic spinel structure with m3m symmetry and Fd3m space group. The analyses of XRD patterns were carried out using POWD software. It gave an estimation of lattice constant “ $a$ ” of 8.3584 Å, which was in good agreement with the results reported in JCPDS file no. 742081. The crystal size of the prepared materials calculated by Scherer’s formula was 27.6 nm and the electrical conductivity was around $10^{-5}~\mathrm{S}\,\cdot \, \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ . The permeability component variations with frequency were realized. The magnetic properties of the prepared materials were analyzed by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). It showed a saturation magnetization of $27.26\,\mathrm{emu} \cdot \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ and the behavior of a hard magnet.     

Effects of Gd2O3 on structure and magnetic properties of Ni-Mn ferrite

The emulsion method was used to prepare nanocrystalline Ni_0.7Mn_0.3Gd _x Fe_2-x O₄ ferrites. The growth of particles, the structure and the magnetic properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Furthermore, the influence of Gd₂O₃ on magnetic properties of Ni-Mn ferrite powders has been investigated in detail. When the crystallite sizes are about 30–40 nm, all the samples have the similar Ms values. The variational rules of saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercivity (Hc) along with doped-Gd contents at different sintering temperatures show that the maximum Gd ions content doped into ferrite lattices is x = 0.06. When Gd-doped content x is larger than 0.06, the doped Gd ions can’t enter into the ferrite lattice totally but reside at grain boundary, as the ionic radii of the Gd³⁺ ions are larger than that of Fe³⁺ ions. The ferrimagnetism have not disappeared completely, even if the crystallite size is 7.8 nm.     

High-Field Magnetization Study of [Cu(pyz)2(HF2)]PF6: An S=\frac{1}{2} Quasi-two-dimensional Heisenberg Magnet

We report on pulsed-field magnetization studies of the quasi-two-dimensional spin system [Cu(pyz)₂(HF₂)]PF₆. The magnetization saturates at $B_{C}^{ab}=37.5$  T and $B_{C}^{c}=33.8$  T for in-plane and out-of-plane orientations of the applied magnetic field, respectively. In addition, the angular dependence of the g-factor studied by electron-spin resonance reveals orbital overlap in the ab plane suggesting a quasi-two-dimensional square-lattice network of Cu spins. It is argued that the high-field behavior is governed by the two-dimensional nature of the spin correlations due to the large anisotropy of the exchange couplings.     

Structural, transport, magnetic, and dielectric properties of La1−x Te x MnO3 (x = 0.10 and 0.15)

In this study, we have investigated the structure, temperature-dependent resistivity, magnetization, and dielectric properties of La_1?x Te _x MnO_3±δ (x = 0.10 and 0.15). X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the rhombohedral crystal symmetry with space group R $ \overline{3} $ c. For both the samples, the temperature dependence of magnetization plots show paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic phase transition. The Curie temperature (T _c) and magnitude of magnetization increase with the Te concentration. Field-dependent magnetization produces the asymmetric hysteresis loop that has been attributed to the magneto crystalline anisotropy induced by lattice distortion and the rare earth spin coupling at room temperature. Temperature-dependent resistivity plots exhibit metal–insulator transition (MIT) and charge-ordering state. These plots have been fitted using variable range hopping model, and the density of states [N(E_F)] has been estimated. Magnetoresistance is measured as a function of temperature in the field of 1T, 5T, and 8T. The dielectric constant shows an anomaly near MIT. The dielectric constant exhibits a peaking behavior with the applied frequency and the temperature dependence of dielectric constant attains colossal values at high temperatures.     

Microstructural development during the liquid-phase sintering of two-phase alloys,with special reference to the NbC/Co system

An investigation was made of the grain growth and other microstructural changes occurring during the liquid-phase sintering of NbC alloys with ～20 wt % cobalt. The effects of sintering time, sintering temperature, and small alloying additions were studied. It was found that the grain growth of NbC in liquid cobalt, at 1420° C, can be described by the equation: $$\bar d^3 - \bar d_0 ^3 = {\text{K}}t$$ where \(\bar d\) is the mean linear intercept of the grains after time t, and \(\bar d_0\) the initial mean intercept, K being a temperature-dependent constant with an “activation energy” of 95±15 kcal/mole. This equation suggests that grain growth occurs by a solution/ precipitation process controlled by diffusion in the liquid phase. Small alloying additions of WC, TiC or NbB₂ inhibit the growth and/or alter the growth process, as well as affecting such properties as the shape and contiguity of the carbide grains. The relative significance of grain coalescence to grain growth in a liquid phase is discussed. By examining theoretically the effect of anisotropy of interface energy on the cube ? sphere grain-shape change, it has been possible to explain the observed sensitivity of grain shape towards sintering conditions.     

Influence of Magnetic Field and LO Phonon Effects on the Spin Polarization State Energy of Strong-Coupling Bipolaron in a Quantum Dot

On the basis of Lee–Low–Pines unitary transformation, the influence of magnetic field and LO phonon effects on the energy of spin polarization states of strong-coupling bipolarons in a quantum dot (QD) is studied by using the variational method of Pekar type. The variations of the ground state energy $E_0$ and the first excited state the energy $E_1$ of bipolarons in a two-dimensional QD with the confinement strength of QDs $\omega _0$ , dielectric constant ratio $\eta $ , electron–phonon coupling strength $\alpha $ and cyclotron resonance frequency of the magnetic field $\omega _{c}$ are derived when the influence of the spin and external magnetic field is taken into account. The results show that both energies of the ground and first excited states ( $E_0$ and $E_1)$ consist of four parts: the single-particle energy of electrons $E_\mathrm{e}$ , Coulomb interaction energy between two electrons $E_\mathrm{c}$ , interaction energy between the electron spin and magnetic field $E_\mathrm{S}$ and interaction energy between the electron and phonon $E_{\mathrm{e-ph}}$ ; the energy level of the first excited state $E_1$ splits into two lines as $E_1^{(1+1)}$ and $E_1^{(1-1)}$ due to the interaction between the single-particle “orbital” motion and magnetic field, and each energy level of the ground and first excited states splits into three “fine structures” caused by the interaction between the electron spin and magnetic field; the value of $E_{\mathrm{e-ph}}$ is always less than zero and its absolute value increases with increasing $\omega _0$ , $\alpha $ and $\omega _c$ ; the effect of the interaction between the electron and phonon is favorable to forming the binding bipolaron, but the existence of the confinement potential and Coulomb repulsive energy between electrons goes against that; the bipolaron with energy $E_1^{(1-1)}$ is easier and more stable in the binding state than that with $E_1^{(1+1)}$ .     

High-field ESR on Light-Induced Transition of Spin Multiplicity in FeCo Complex

Cyanide-bridged Fe-Co complex [Fe(Tp)(CN)₃]₂Co(bpe)?5H₂O (1?5H₂O; Tp = hydro-tris(pyrazolyl)borate; bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane) shows temperature- and light- induced metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) involving spin state changes between magnetic $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{II}}\mathrm{HS}}$ (HS = high spin, LS = low spin) state and nonmagnetic $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{II}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}$ state, while the dehydrated material 1 does not show any MMCT and holds $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{II}}\mathrm{HS}}$ state. We have investigated the magnetic properties of each spin state in 1 and 1?5H₂O by means of magnetization and ESR measurement under pulsed high magnetic field. At low temperature below T _N, in both 1 and 1?5H₂O, the saturation magnetization in the induced ferromagnetic phase is well explained by S and g values derived from the magnetic susceptibility study. In the ESR of 1, we observed characteristic modes corresponding to a spin excitation in the induced ferromagnetic phase where its temperature dependence shows an evolution of spin correlation in the $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{II}}\mathrm{HS}}$ state at low temperature. We further found that the similar ESR modes grow in the light-induced state of 1?5H₂O. The results strongly suggest that the light-induced magnetization in 1?5H₂O is driven by a light-induced MMCT, which involves transition of spin multiplicity from the nonmagnetic $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{II}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}$ to the magnetic $\mathrm{Fe}^{\mathrm{III}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{III}}\mathrm{LS}}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Co}^{\mathrm{II}}_{\phantom{\mathrm{\mathrm{II}}}\mathrm{HS}}$ pair.     

Effect of moisture content on freeze–thaw behavior of cement paste by electrical resistance measurements

The electrical resistivity responses of cement pastes with different moisture content under cyclic freeze–thaw (F–T) action are presented. Different moisture content was achieved using water adsorption. Ordinary cement paste samples with water-to-cement (W/C) ratio of 0.5 were used in resistance measurements. Cyclic F–T tests show similar curves of resistivity versus temperature, but with different characteristic parameter values. Depercolation during freezing and repercolation during thawing occur, and the percolation electrical resistivity remains almost constant at around 2000 ( $\rm \Omega \,\rm{m}$ ). The depercolation temperature $\theta _{\mathrm{DPT}}$ is systematically higher than the repercolation temperature $\theta _{\mathrm{RPT}}$ , and both show slight increase with F–T cycle, but decrease with moisture content. The freezing temperature $\theta _{\text {FT}}$ and melting temperature $\theta _{\mathrm{MT}}$ increase with moisture content but exhibit minor change with F–T cycle. The plots of electrical resistivity–temperature curves confirm an Arrhenius type equation during both the freezing and thawing. Augmenting moisture content tends to lower the activation energy of resistivity.     

Magnetic Properties of Fe 3 O 4 Nanoparticles Synthesized by Coprecipitation Method

In this paper, we elucidate several specific magnetic properties of Fe ₃ O ₄nanoparticles synthesized by coprecipitation method. The characterizations by X-ray diffraction technique (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the particles to be of spinel structure and spherical shapes whose diameter could be controlled in the range from 14 to 22 nm simply by adjusting the precursor salts concentration and coprecipitation temperature. Magnetic properties of the Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles measured by using vibration sample magnetometer (VSM) indicated the saturation magnetization and blocking temperature to increase with the particles size. Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles with crystal size smaller than 22 nm exhibits superparamagnetic behavior at room temperatures. Characteristic magnetic parameters of the particles including saturation magnetization, effective anisotropy constant, and magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant have been determined. The observed decrease of saturation magnetization was explained on the base of core-shell model. A simple analysis indicated that the shell thickness decreases with an increase in particle size.     

Tailoring magnetic and dielectric properties of Co<Subscript>0.9</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>0.1</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> with substitution of small fractions of Gd<Superscript>3+</Superscript> ions

This paper describes the structural, magnetic, and dielectric properties of Gd³⁺ substituted cobalt–copper ferrite. The influence of Gd³⁺ substitution on the structural, magnetic and electrical properties of cobalt–copper ferrite was investigated through various characterization techniques. Thermal analysis was carried out on the prepared gel to know the combustion and calcination temperature. The detailed structural analysis suggests that the substitution of a Fe³⁺ ion with a Gd³⁺ ion at B site results in lattice distortion, modification in crystallite size and grain size of the material. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the oxidation states of the elements present. Magnetic measurement performed at 300 and 50 K depicts the decrease in saturation magnetization (Ms) and increase in coercivity (Hc) with Gd³⁺ substitution in the cobalt–copper spinel ferrite. The dielectric measurements acquired over a wide range of frequencies and temperature showed an increase in dielectric constant with increasing Gd³⁺ concentration.     

Orientation of the Angular Momentum in Superfluid 3He-A in a Stretched Aerogel

Superfluid ³He-A in a fully characterized stretched aerogel, used in previous work by Pollanen et al., has been studied for parallel and perpendicular orientations of the magnetic field relative to the anisotropy axis of the aerogel. Consistently, we find that an equal spin pairing state (ESP) is stabilized down to the lowest temperature. From our pulsed NMR frequency shifts as a function of temperature and tip angle, the orientation of the orbital angular momentum $\hat{l}$ has been determined. The aerogel anisotropy introduced by uniaxial stretching tends to align $\hat{l}$ in the axial state parallel to the strain axis, consistent with the theory proposed by Sauls and contrary to Volovik’s prediction based on an impurity calculation of Rainer and Vuorio.     

Characterization and Performance of Magnetic Calorimeters for Applications in X-ray Spectroscopy

We have developed prototype arrays of metallic magnetic calorimeters for applications in X-ray astronomy. Each pixel consists of an all-gold X-ray absorber in good thermal contact to a gold-erbium paramagnetic thin film thermometer that is operated in the temperature range of 30–100 mK. The para-magnetic response is coupled to a SQUID amplifier. We have characterized pixels in an array and observed the expected temperature dependence of the magnetization and heat capacity. We have demonstrated a full width at half maximum energy resolution of 1.7  \(\pm \) 0.1 eV at 6 keV and have also read out these devices using time-division multiplexing.