Conductivity of composites containing ferromagnetic nanoparticles: The role of a magnetic field

A theory of conductivity is developed for metal-containing nanocomposites. An expression is obtained for the tunneling rate of an electron between nanoparticles. Three regimes of current flow are possible: the cases of weak, strong, and superstrong electric fields. In the weak-field regime, the electrons generated as a result of ionization of neutral nanoparticles are characterized by a nearly equilibrium distribution. The conductivity in this regime is calculated with the use of this nearly equilibrium distribution of electrons and the relationship between the spacing of neighboring particles and their radii. An expression is obtained for the electric conductivity as a function of temperature and a magnetic field (for ferromagnets) with regard to the distribution of nanoparticles with respect to radius and their volume density.