Magnetic anisotropy of Co2+ as signature of intrinsic ferromagnetism in ZnO:Co

We report on the magnetic properties of thoroughly characterized Zn(1-x)Co(x)O 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.     

Absence of intrinsic ferromagnetic interactions of isolated and paired Co dopant atoms in Zn1-xCoxO with high structural perfection

We report element specific structural and magnetic investigations on Zn(1-x)Co(x)O epitaxial films using synchrotron radiation. Co dopants exclusively occupy Zn sites as revealed by x-ray linear dichroism having an unprecedented degree of structural perfection. Comparative magnetic field dependent measurements by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism and conventional magnetometry consistently show purely paramagnetic behavior for isolated Co dopant atoms with a magnetic moment of 4.8 (mu B). However, the total magnetization is reduced by approximately 30%, demonstrating that Co-O-Co pairs are antiferromagnetically coupled. We find no sign of intrinsic ferromagnetic interactions for isolated or paired Co dopant atoms in Co:ZnO films.     

Structural and Magnetic Properties of Codoped ZnO based Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors

Zn1-xCoxO （x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20） diluted magnetic semiconductors are prepared by the sol-gel method. The structural and magnetic properties of the samples are studied using x-ray diffraction （XRD）, extended x-ray absorption fine structure （EXAFS） and superconducting quantum interference device （SQUID）. The XRD patterns does not show any signal of precipitates that are different from wurtzite type ZnO when Co content is lower than x = 0.10. An EXAFS technique for the Co K-edge has been employed to probe the local structures around Co atoms doped in ZnO powders by fluorescence mode. The simulation results for the first shell EXAFS signals indicate that Zn sites can be substituted by Co atoms when Co content is lower than x = 0.05. The SQUID results show that the samples （x 〈 0.05） exhibit clear hysteresis loops at 300K, and magnetization versus temperature from 5 K to 350K at H = 100 Oe for the sample x = 0.02 shows that the samples have ferromagnetism above room temperature. A double-exchange mechanism is proposed to explain the ferromagnetic properties of the samples.     

Competition between ferromagnetic and anti-ferromagnetic couplings in Co doped ZnO with vacancies and Ga co-dopants

Spin-polarized first-principles electronic structure and total energy calculations have been performed to better understand the magnetic properties of Co doped ZnO (ZnO:Co) with vacancies and Ga co-dopants. The paramagnetic state of ZnO:Co, in which Co ions lose their magnetic moments, has been found to be unstable. The total energy results show that acceptor-like Zn vacancies and donor-like Ga co-dopants render the anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) and ferromagnetic (FM) states to be more favorable, respectively. With O vacancies, ZnO:Co has been found to be in the weak FM state. These magnetic properties can be understood by the calculated O- and Zn-vacancies and Ga co-dopant induced changes of the electronic structure, which suggest that AFM and FM Co-Co couplings are mediated by O 2p-Co majority (↑)-spin 3d hybridized states in the valence band of ZnO and O-vacancy-derived p states or Ga sp states in the ZnO band gap, respectively. For ZnO:Co with Zn vacancies (Ga co-dopants) the AFM (FM) coupling outweighs the FM (AFM) coupling and results in the AFM (FM) state, while for ZnO:Co with O vacancies, both the FM and AFM couplings are enhanced by similar degrees and result in the weak FM state. This study reveals a competition between FM and AFM couplings in ZnO:Co with vacancies and Ga co-dopants, the detailed balancing between which determines the magnetic properties of these materials.     

A fabrication and magnetic properties study on Al doped Zn0.99Co0.01O dilution ferromagnetic semiconductors

This paper reports that a chemical method is employed to synthesize Co and Al co-doped ZnO,namely,Zn0.99 x Co0.01 Al x O dilution semiconductors with the nominal composition of x = 0,0.005 and 0.02.Structural,magnetic and optical properties of the produced samples are studied.The results indicate that samples sintered in air under the temperatures of 500 C show a single wurtzite ZnO structure and the ferromagnetism decreases with the increase of Al.Photoluminescence spectra of different Al-doped samples indicate that increasing Al concentration in Zn0.99 x Co0.01 Al x O results in a decrease of Zn i,which resembles the trend of the ferromagnetic property of the corresponding samples.Therefore,it is deduced that the ferromagnetism observed in the studied samples originates from the interstitial defect of zinc(Zni) in the lattice of Co-doped ZnO.     

Co和Mn共掺杂ZnO铁磁性的第一性原理

基于密度泛函理论(DFT)的总体能量平面波超软赝势方法,结合广义梯度近似(GGA),对Co单独掺杂ZnO和(Co,Mn)共掺杂ZnO的32原子超原胞体系进行了几何结构优化,计算了纤锌矿结构ZnO、Co-ZnO及(Co,Mn)共掺杂ZnO的能带结构、电子态密度,并对此进行了详细的分析。计算结果表明,ZnO中单独掺杂Co元素显示出铁磁性行为,Mn的引入减弱了Co-ZnO的铁磁性。     

Study on the ferromagnetism in Co and N doped ZnO thin films

Present investigation reports the structural, optical and magnetic properties of co-doping of Co and N ions in ZnO samples, prepared by two distinct methods. In the first method, samples are synthesized by Sol–gel technique in which the Co and N are co-doped simultaneously during the growth process itself. In the second case, N ions are implanted in the Co doped ZnO thin films grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD). Structural studies showed that the nitrogen implantation on Co doped ZnO samples developed compressive stress in the films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the doping of Co and N in ZnO matrix. In the Resonant Raman scattering multiple LO phonons up to fifth order are observed in the (Co, N) co-doped ZnO. Photoluminescence spectra showed that there is reduction in the bandgap due to the presence of Co in the lattice and also the presence of Zn vacancies in the films. All samples showed ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. The magnetic moment observed in the implanted films is found to be varied with the different dosages of the implanted N ions. First principle calculations have been carried out to study the possible magnetic interaction in the co-doped system. Present study shows that the ferromagnetic interaction is due to the hybridization between N 2p and Co 3d states in the (Co, N) co-doped ZnO and is very sensitive to the geometrical configurations of dopants and the vacancy in the ZnO host lattice.     

磁控溅射法制备钴掺杂氧化锌薄膜室温磁学性质

钴掺杂氧化锌是室温稀磁半导体的重要候选材料,其磁学特性和钴掺杂浓度、显微结构及光学性质密切相关。磁控溅射具有成本低、易于大面积沉积高质量薄膜等特点,是广受关注的稀磁半导体薄膜制备方法。利用磁控溅射方法制备了不同浓度的钴掺杂氧化锌薄膜,并对其显微结构、光学性质和磁学特性进行了系统分析。结果表明:当掺杂原子分数在8%以内时,钴掺杂氧化锌薄膜保持单一的铅锌矿晶体结构,钴元素完全溶解在氧化锌晶格之中;薄膜在可见光区域有很高的透射率,但在567, 615和659 nm处有明显吸收峰,这些吸收峰源于Co2+处于O2-形成的四面体晶体场中的特征d-d跃迁。磁学特性测试结果表明钴掺杂氧化锌薄膜具有室温铁磁性,且钴的掺杂浓度对薄膜的磁学特性有重要影响。结合薄膜结构、光学和电学性质分析,实验中观察到的室温铁磁性应源于钴掺杂氧化锌薄膜的本征属性,其铁磁耦合机理可由束缚磁极化子模型进行解释。     

退火氛围对掺杂ZnO薄膜磁性的影响

采用直流磁控反应共溅法制备了非磁性元素Al和磁性元素Co掺杂的ZnO薄膜, 样品原位真空退火后再空气退火处理. 利用X射线衍射仪(XRD) 和物理性能测量仪(PPMS) 对薄膜的结构和磁性进行了表征. XRD和PPMS结果表明, 不同的退火氛围对掺杂薄膜的结构和磁性有着很大的影响. 真空退火的Al掺杂ZnO薄膜没有观察到铁磁性, 而空气退火的样品却显示出明显的室温铁磁性, 铁磁性的来源与空气退火后导致Al和ZnO基体间电荷转移增强有关. 而对于Co掺杂ZnO薄膜, 真空退火后再空气退火, 室温铁磁性明显减弱. 其磁性变化与Co离子和ZnO基体间电荷转移导致磁性增强和间隙Co原子被氧化导致磁性减弱有关.     

用电化学沉积方法制备钴掺杂的氧化锌薄膜及其光学性质

通过选用乌洛托品作为络合剂,采用电化学沉积的方法成功地制备出钴掺杂的氧化锌薄膜。通过对样品的XRD表征,得出生长的样品为ZnO纤锌矿结构,并没有其他杂相峰,即没有出现分相;通过对样品XPS的分析显示Co离子在薄膜中以+2价的形式存在;为进一步验证Co²⁺离子进入ZnO的晶格,对掺杂不同Co²⁺浓度的样品进行PL谱的测量,从发光光谱上可以看出随着掺杂Co²⁺浓度的增加,带隙逐渐变窄,发光峰位红移,证明Co²⁺部分取代了Zn²⁺而进入了ZnO晶格中。     

掺钴氧化锌稀磁半导体的SEM及X射线能谱微分析研究

采用水热法,以CoCl₂·6H₂O为前驱物,KOH作为矿化剂合成了掺钴氧化锌稀磁半导体晶体。利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)及X射线能谱仪(XREDS)对合成晶体的微观形貌、表面及内部掺杂元素Co的相对含量和分布的均匀性进行了研究。研究结果表明：水热法合成的掺Co氧化锌晶体具有多种微观形貌,较大的晶体具有极性生长特性。随晶体形貌不同,显露面也发生了相应改变。不同微观形貌的晶体其Co含量有所差异,较大的晶体掺杂Co元素相对含量大于较小的晶体,+c(1011)显露面Co元素的含量比+c(1010)面高,锥柱状晶体其区别尤为明显。大的晶体内部存在着少量的氧化钴团簇,晶体表面与晶体内部Co元素分布相对均匀。由于Co2+具有磁性,因此,氧化钴团簇的存在将对氧化锌稀磁半导体晶体的磁性产生一定的影响。     

Chemical manipulation of high-T(C) ferromagnetism in ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductors

We report the use of targeted p- and n-type chemical perturbations to manipulate high-T(C) ferromagnetism in Mn(2+):ZnO and Co(2+):ZnO in predictable and reproducible ways. We demonstrate a clear correlation between nitrogen and high-T(C) ferromagnetism for Mn(2+):ZnO and an inverse correlation for Co(2+):ZnO, both as predicted by recent theoretical models. These chemical perturbations reveal rich possibilities for exerting external control over high-T(C) spin ordering in diluted magnetic semiconductors.     

Effect of defects on room-temperature ferromagnetism in Co and Na co-doped ZnO

The role of defects in the room temperature ferromagnetism of the Co–ZnO based diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) was investigated by co-doping the DMS with Na. The structure characterizations indicate that both Na and Co ions enter into the ZnO lattice without the formation of secondary phase. The oxygen vacancy of ZnCoNaO increased while the carrier concentration decreased compared with that of ZnCoO, leading to the enhancement of the ferromagnetic property in the ZnCoNaO. The observed ferromagnetism introduced by Na ions is attributed to the exchange interaction via the electron trapped oxygen vacancies coupled with the magnetic Co ions.     

Local structure investigation of (Co,Cu) co-doped ZnO nanocrystals and its correlation with magnetic properties

Pure, Co doped and (Co, Cu) co-doped ZnO nanocrystals have been prepared by wet chemical route at room temperature to investigate the effect of Cu doping in Co doped ZnO nanocrystals . The nanocrystals have initially been characterized by X-ray diffraction, FTIR, Raman, optical absorption and EPR spectroscopy and the results were corroborated with DFT based electronic structure calculations. Magnetic properties of the samples have been investigated by studying their magnetic hysteresis behavior and temperature dependence of susceptibilities. Finally the local structure at the host and dopant sites of the nanocrystals have been investigated by Zn, Co and Cu K edges EXAFS measurements with synchrotron radiation to explain their experimentally observed magnetic properties.     

Structure and room-temperature ferromagnetism of Co-doped ZnO DMS films

Co-doped ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductor films were prepared on Si(100) substrates by magnetron sputtering system and the Co content varies from 0.01 to 0.15. The X-ray diffraction results showed ZnO of the wurtzite structure. The ferromagnetism was observed at room temperature. The X-ray near-edge absorption spectroscopy revealed that Co substitutes for Zn²⁺ ions in the valence of +2 state in the Co-doped ZnO films.     

Characterization of ZnO:Co particles prepared by hydrothermal method for room temperature magnetism

ZnO based diluted magnetic semiconductor particles (ZnO:Co) have been grown using a hydrothermal method with good crystallinity. The atomic percentage of Co presented in the specimen is about 0.01. Based on the x-ray diffraction and high-resolution transition electron, Co is found to be incorporated into ZnO lattice without evidence of obvious Co precipitates. However, from photoluminescence (PL) spectra in the range of 1.94 -3.45 eV, a strong broad emission centered around 600 nm (2.07 eV) in the visible range as well as a relatively weak peak at 2.81 eV are observed, indicating the presence of Co impurities. Moreover, intrinsic emissions such as D^OX suggest that at least some Co have been doped into ZnO lattice, substituting for Zn²⁺ ions. The PL results further confirm the substitution of Zn²⁺ ions by Co, which leads to the changes of the electronic band structures. Magnetism could be realized at room temperature for the ZnO:Co nanoparticles under our experimental conditions although with low coercivity. The field-cooled and zero-field-cooled curves can be explained as a result of competition between the ferromagnetic and the antiferromagnetic ordering in the ZnO:Co nanoparticles. Combining the results from PL and magnetism characterization, it is reasonable to think that both doped Co in the ZnO lattice and Co impurities contribute to magnetism in ZnO:Co nanoparticles at room temperature.     

Effect of oxygen vacancy defect on the magnetic properties of Co-doped ZnO

The influence of oxygen vacancy on the magnetism of Co-doped ZnO has been investigated by the first-principles calculations.It is suggested that oxygen vacancy and its location play crucial roles on the magnetic properties of Co-doped ZnO.The exchange coupling mechanism should account for the magnetism in Co-doped ZnO with oxygen vacancy and the oxygen vacancy is likely to be close to the Co atom.The oxygen vacancy (doping electrons) might be available for carrier mediation but is localized with a certain length and can strengthen the ferromagnetic exchange interaction between Co atoms.     

Co掺杂ZnO薄膜的结构和磁学性能

研究了用单束脉冲激光沉积法制备的Co掺杂ZnO薄膜的结构和磁学性能。XRD表征结果表明制备的薄膜是具有沿c轴择优取向的纤锌矿点阵结构。然而,进一步的高分辨电子显微镜结果显示整个样品上的晶体取向并不完全相同。很难说明形成了单晶。结果分析表明Co占据了部分Zn的格点,并对电子结构产生了影响。室温下观察到了磁滞回线,显示掺杂Co可以实现ZnO的磁性翻转,但磁性比较小。该薄膜与我们以前用双束脉冲激光沉积法制备的Co掺杂ZnO薄膜具有相似的性能,提示我们其内部的机制可能相似。     

Studies of the physical properties of Co, Cu codoped ZnO powders

Zn_0.95−xCo_0.05Cu_xO powders have been synthesized by the sol-gel method and the structural, magnetic and electrical properties of the powders have been investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate that the Co ions do not change the ZnO wurtzite structure. Magnetic measurements indicate that Co doping can induce room temperature (RT) ferromagnetism and the addition of Cu to the powders further increases the magnetic moment per Co ion. The effects of the introduction of Cu as an acceptor dopant in the host matrix are further studied using resistance measurements. It is demonstrated experimentally that acceptor doping plays an important role in realizing dominant ferromagnetic ordering in Co doped ZnO powders.     

Investigation of n-type donor defects in Co-doped ZnO

We investigate using density functional theory (DFT) the electronic structure of (∼3%) Co-doped ZnO in the presence of native n-type donor defects such as V_O and Zn_I. In particular, we apply a pseudopotential-based self-interaction correction (pseudo-SIC) scheme as an improvement to the local spin-density approximation (LSDA). This overcomes major short comings of the LSDA in describing Co-doped ZnO. Donor+dopant pair complexes such as Co–V_O and Co–Zn_I are studied as relevant magnetic centres for long-range magnetic interactions at low-dopant concentrations. We find that complex formation is energetically favourable but the inter-complex magnetic coupling is too weak to account for room temperature ferromagnetism in ZnO:Co