Progress on microscopic properties of diluted magnetic semiconductors by NMR and μSR

Diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) that possess both properties of semiconductors and ferromagnetism, have attracted a lot of attentions due to its potential applications for spin-sensitive electronic devices. Recently, a series of bulk form DMSs isostructural to iron-based superconductors have been reported, which can be readily investigated by microscopic experimental techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and muon spin rotation (μSR). The measurements have demonstrated that homogeneous ferromagnetism is achieved in these DMSs. In this review article, we summarize experimental evidences from both NMR and μSR measurements. NMR results have shown that carriers facilitate the interactions between distant Mn atoms, while μSR results indicate that these bulk form DMSs and (Ga,Mn)As share a common mechanism for the ferromagnetic exchange interactions.     

Mn 掺杂 SiC 基稀磁半导体薄膜的结构和磁性研究

目的从原子水平探究Mn掺杂SiC薄膜的磁性起源。方法采用射频磁控溅射技术制备不同掺杂浓度的Mn掺杂SiC薄膜,并采用X射线衍射技术、X光电子能谱、同步辐射X射线近边吸收精细结构技术、物理性质测试系统对薄膜的结构、组分和磁性能进行研究。结果晶体结构和成分分析表明,1200℃退火后的薄膜形成了3C-SiC晶体结构,且随着Mn掺杂浓度的增加,3C-SiC晶体的特征峰向低角度移动。在Mn掺杂浓度(以原子数分数计)为3%,5%,7%的薄膜中,掺杂的Mn原子以Mn2+的形式存在;而在9%Mn掺杂的SiC薄膜中,则有第二相化合物Mn4Si7形成。局域结构分析表明,薄膜中均不存在Mn金属团簇和氧化物,在3%,5%和7%Mn掺杂的薄膜中,掺杂的Mn原子主要以代替C位的形式进入3C-SiC晶格中,而在9%Mn掺杂的薄膜中,掺杂的Mn原子以C替位形式和Mn4Si7共存。磁性测试表明,制备的Mn掺杂SiC薄膜具有室温铁磁性,且饱和磁化强度随着Mn掺杂浓度的提高而增加。结论薄膜的室温铁磁性是本征的,磁性来源与掺杂的Mn原子以Mn2+取代SiC晶格中C位后导致的缺陷有关,符合缺陷导致的束缚磁极子机制。     

室温铁磁性Al2O3∶Mn的制备及性质

以Al2O3为衬底利用多能态离子注入法在离子注入设备上制备了一系列具有室温铁磁性的Al2O3:Mn样品.在Al2O3的X射线衍射峰附近发现新的衍射峰,该衍射峰既可能对应一种未知新相,也可能对应Al2O3:Mn固溶体.所有样品都具有磁滞现象和室温铁磁性.     

铁矿石加工方法对其磁性铁含量测定结果的影响

介绍了部分铁矿石的不同加工方法对其磁性铁含量分析结果的影响，对测定磁性铁含量的铁矿石加工方法提出建议。     

New Class of High-TC Diluted Ferromagnetic Semiconductors Based on CaO without Transition Metal Elements

We propose new-type ferromagnetic semiconductors based on CaO and K₂S without any transition metal elements. These materials show transparent and half-metallic ferromagnetism if the deep-impurity-band width (W) induced by doping of C, N, Si, or Ge impurities, and the electron-correlation energy (U) satisfy the Stoners condition of highly correlated electron system (U>W). Based on our first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that these materials satisfy the Stoners condition, and could be new candidates for transparent and half-metallic DMSs.     

Oxygen vacancy-induced short-range ordering as a sole mechanism for enhanced magnetism of spinel ZnFe2O4 prepared via a one-step treatment

Despite being difficult to identify, extremely dilute oxygen vacancies have been widely reported to play an important role in enhancing magnetism in ZnFe₂O₄. The mechanisms underlying this enhanced magnetism have not been well understood for a long time and remain controversial because the formation of oxygen vacancy-rich ZnFe₂O₄ can be accompanied by changes in the chemical/physical characteristics, especially the composition, particle size, surface morphology and cation distribution, which can significantly affect the magnetization. An open and important question is whether and to what extent the enhanced magnetization can be attributed only to oxygen vacancies. In this study, the relationship between the magnetization and oxygen vacancies in ZnFe₂O₄ was definitively determined by using a carefully designed “shake-and-heat” treatment to prepare vacancy-rich samples while keeping the other crystal/surface parameters constant. Compared to the nearly vacancy-free paramagnetism samples, the vacancy-rich samples exhibited a higher magnetization of approximately 5 emu/g at both 300 K and 2 K. The Fe³⁺-O^2--Fe³⁺ superexchange paths broken by oxygen vacancies then resulting in the Fe³⁺-Fe³⁺ ferromagnetism configuration. Meanwhile, the oxygen vacancy is highly diluted then the ferromagnetism configuration is confined in a single super-cell, favoring a short-range magnetic ordering at room temperature. The concentration of oxygen vacancies was calculated to be 0.68% by magnetization measurement. Our results may shed a light on how oxygen vacancies affect magnetism.     

Au and Co3O4 anchored Bi2WO6 with enhanced electron paramagnetic resonance,surface plasmon resonance,nonlinear and magnetic properties

The combination of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect with hetero-p–n structure shows promising benefits to optical linear and nonlinear properties. In this study, Au nanoparticles (NPs) decorated p–n hetero-structured Co₃O₄/Bi₂WO₆ composite was synthesized and characterized in terms of the optical linear and nonlinear and magnetic properties, morphology, electron transition, charge transfer, energy band gap, polarizability, SPR effect, and oxygen vacancies using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, Z-scan, ultraviolet–visible spectra, and vibrating sample magnetometer. The combination of Co₃O₄ provided active 3d electrons transition and charge transfer which increased carriers’ concentration and reduced the energy band gap. Au SPR enhanced the internal polarization and strengthened the built-in electric field, yielding strong nonlinear behavior. In addition, magnetic Co₃O₄ endowed sample with room-temperature ferromagnetism which was obviously strengthened by Au NPs. The obtained sample is promising for laser and photonics applications.     

Robust Above‐Room‐Temperature Ferromagnetism in Few‐Layer Antimonene Triggered by Nonmagnetic Adatoms

2D ferromagnets have attracted considerable attention due to their strong potential in the post‐Moore Law era. However, intrinsic 2D ferromagnetic materials typically suffer from suppressed Curie temperature due to thermal fluctuation, magnetic order instability in the 2D limit, and others. Herein, a nonmagnetic fluorine modification strategy is proposed to control the ferromagnetism of air‐stable antimonene. It is demonstrated that fluorinated antimonene (F‐antimonene), synthesized via an electrochemical exfoliation and synchronous fluorination method, exhibits robust ferromagnetism with a Curie temperature of up to 717 K (compared with a Curie temperature of 220 K for pristine antimonene) and a saturation magnetization of ≈0.1 emu g^?1 (determined by the fluorination degree). First‐principles simulations confirm that the robust long‐range ferromagnetic order in the half‐metallic F‐antimonene is induced by the low‐density sp‐electron‐polarized impurity subbands. The study constitutes a nonmagnetic control of robust above‐room‐temperature ferromagnetism in monoelemental 2D semiconductors and paves a new route toward 2D atomic layer‐based spin devices.     

High‐TC Interfacial Ferromagnetism in SrMnO3/LaMnO3 Superlattices

Heterostructures of strongly correlated oxides demonstrate various intriguing and potentially useful interfacial phenomena. LaMnO₃/SrMnO₃ superlattices are presented showcasing a new high‐temperature ferromagnetic phase with Curie temperature, T_C ≈360 K, caused by electron transfer from the surface of the LaMnO₃ donor layer into the neighboring SrMnO₃ acceptor layer. As a result, the SrMnO₃ (top)/LaMnO₃ (bottom) interface shows an enhancement of the magnetization as depth‐profiled by polarized neutron reflectometry. The length scale of charge transfer, λ_TF ≈2 unit cells, is obtained from in situ growth monitoring by optical ellipsometry, supported by optical simulations, and further confirmed by high resolution electron microscopy and spectroscopy. A model of the inhomogeneous distribution of electron density in LaMnO₃/SrMnO₃ layers along the growth direction is concluded to account for a complex interplay between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layers in superlattices.