Order-disorder transformation in FePt nanoparticles studied by ferromagnetic resonance

We have investigated the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) response of as-made and temperature annealed FePt magnetic nanoparticles. The as-made nanoparticles, which have been fabricated by a chemical route, crystallize in the low magnetic anisotropy fcc phase and have a diameter in the range of 2-4 nm. The annealing of the particles at high temperatures (T_A=550, 650 and C) in an inert Ar atmosphere produces a partial transformation to the high magnetocrystalline anisotropy L1₀ phase, with a significant increase in particle size and size distribution. FMR measurements at X-band (9.5 GHz) and Q-band (34 GHz) show a single relatively narrow line for the as-synthesized particles and a structure of two superimposed lines for the three annealed samples. The origin of this line shape has been attributed to the presence of the disordered fcc phase. Assuming that the system consists of a collection of identical particles with a random distribution of easy axes, we have been able to estimate a mean value for the magnetic anisotropy constant of the particles in the fcc phase, K∼2×10⁶ erg/cm³. The measured line shape in the annealed samples can be explained if we consider that the magnetic anisotropy of the particles has a gaussian distribution with a relatively broad width.     

Electromagnetic wave absorption properties of Fe3C/carbon nanocomposites prepared by a CVD method

Dendrite-shaped iron nanowires with 50-200 nm in diameter and 10-20 μm in length were prepared by the CVD method from Fe(CO)₅ as a starting source. Ethanol was cracked on the surface of the resultant iron nanowires to form the Fe₃C/carbon nanocomposites, in which nanosized carbon beads covered the surface of Fe₃C. Resin compact of the resultant Fe₃C/carbon nanocomposites had excellent electromagnetic wave absorption ability in the range of 0.9-9.0 GHz, and such available absorption range more enhanced compared to that observed on the resin compact prepared from the original iron nanowires by the hybridization of magnetic (Fe₃C) and dielectric (carbon) materials.     

Solid state reaction synthesis of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles

Ni-ferrite (NiFe₂O₄) nanoparticles have been synthesized via a solid state reaction process. Ni and Fe bi-metallic nanoparticles in the form of Ni₃₃Fe₆₇ alloy nanopowder are first synthesized by simultaneous evaporation of the required amounts of pure Ni and Fe metals followed by rapid condensation of the evaporated metal flux into solid state by means of an inert gas, helium, using the process of inert gas condensation (IGC). In order to form the NiFe₂O₄ structure, as-synthesized samples (Ni₃₃Fe₆₇) are annealed for 12 h in ambient conditions at different annealing temperatures. Structural analyses show that NiFe₂O₄ starts to form at around 450 °C and gets progressively well defined with increasing annealing temperatures yielding particle with size ranging between 15 and 50 nm. Besides successfully forming NiFe₂O₄, NiO/Fe₃O₄ core/shell nanoparticles have also been synthesized by adjusting the annealing conditions. Three different structures, Ni₃₃Fe₆₇, NiO/Fe₃O₄, and NiFe₂O₄, obtained in this study are compared with respect to their structural and magnetic properties.     

Magnetic properties of chalcogenide spinel CuCr2Se4 nanocrystals

The magnetic properties of chalcogenide spinel CuCr₂Se₄ nanocrystals have been studied as a function of crystallite size (15-30 nm). A solution-based method is used for the facile synthesis of the nanocrystals with good size control. They have close to cubic morphology with a narrow size distribution and exhibit superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature. The Curie temperature and saturation magnetization of the nanocrystals are lower as compared with the bulk and decrease with decreasing nanocrystal size. A similar trend is observed in the paramagnetic state for the Curie-Weiss temperature and effective magnetic moment. The low temperature magnetization behavior can be qualitatively explained by spin glass dynamics.     

Ni80Fe20 permalloy nanoparticles: Wet chemical preparation, size control and their dynamic permeability characteristics when composited with Fe micron particles

Ni₈₀Fe₂₀ permalloy nanoparticles (NPs) have been prepared by the polyol processing at 180 °C for 2 h and their particle sizes can be precisely controlled in the size range of 20-440 nm by proper addition of K₂PtCl₄ agent. X-ray diffraction results show that the Ni-Fe NPs are of FCC structure, and a homogeneous composition and a narrow size distribution of these NPs have been confirmed by scanning electron microscopy assisted with energy dispersion spectroscopy of X-ray (SEM-EDX). The saturation magnetization of ~440nm NPs is 80.8 emu/g that is comparable to that of bulk Ni₈₀Fe₂₀ alloys, but it decreases to 28.7 emu/g for ~20 nm NPs. The coercive force decreases from 90 to 3 Oe with decreasing NP size. The wide range of particle size is exploited to seek for high permeability composite particles. The planar type samples composed of the NiFe NPs exhibit low initial permeability due to the deteriorated magnetic softness and low packing density. However, when they are mixed with Fe micron particles, the initial permeability significantly increases depending on the mixing ratio and the NiFe NP size. A maximum initial permeability is achieved to be ~9.1 at 1 GHz for the Fe-10 vol%NiFe (~20 nmΦ), which is about three times that of pure Fe micron particles. The effects of Ni-Fe particle size, volume percentage and solvent on the static and dynamic permeability are discussed.     

Permeability-frequency spectra of (Fe1−xcox)73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 nanocrystalline alloys under different magnetic fields

Under various amplitude of AC magnetic fields domain wall motion is the main mechanism in the magnetization process. This includes domain wall bulging and domain wall displacing. In this paper complex permeability-frequency spectra of (Fe_1−xCo_x)_73.5Cu₁Nb₃Si_13.5B₉ (x=0,0.5$x=0,0.5$) nanocrystalline alloys were measured as a function of the AC magnetic field, ranging from 0.001 to 0.04 Oe. Obvious changes have been found in complex permeability spectra for alloy x=0$x=0$ with the change of the amplitude of AC magnetic field, but variation of AC magnetic field has little effect on complex permeability spectra for alloy x=0.5$x=0.5$. This is attributed to the increased pinning field after substitution of Fe with Co in Fe_73.5Cu₁Nb₃Si_13.5B₉ nanaocrystalline alloy.     

High concentration of hematite nanoparticles in a silica matrix: Structural and magnetic properties

The α-Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ nanocomposite containing 45 wt% of hematite was prepared by the sol-gel method followed by heating in air at 200 °C. The so-obtained composite of iron(III) nanoparticles dissolved in glassy silica matrix was investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. XRPD confirms the formation of a single-phase hematite sample, whereas TEM reveals spherical particles in a silica matrix with an average diameter of 10 nm. DC magnetization shows bifurcation of the zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) branches up to the room temperature with a blocking temperature T_B=65 K. Isothermal M(H) dependence displays significant hysteretic behaviour below T_B, whereas the room temperature data were successfully fitted to a weighted Langevin function. The average particle size obtained from this fit is in agreement with the TEM findings. The small shift of the T_B value with the magnetic field strength, narrowing of the hysteresis loop at low applied field, and the frequency dependence of the AC susceptibility data point to the presence of inter-particle interactions. The analysis of the results suggests that the system consists of single-domain nanoparticles with intermediate strength interactions.     

Fabrication and Characterization of SmCo5/Fe65Co35 and SmCo5/Fe Composite Spring Exchange Magnets

SmCo5/Fe65Co35 and SmCo5/Fe spring exchange magnets are fabricated by dc magnetron sputtering on MgO substrates and 100-nm-thick Si3N4 membranes, respectively. The base pressure of sputtering chamber is kept below 10^-7 Tort, and Ar pressure is 3 to 8mTorr. The samples are characterized by an x-ray diffractometer, a superconducting quantum interference magnetometer, and high resolution magnetic soft x-ray microscopy. We obtain the complete exchange coupling and single phase behaviour of composite magnets. The （BH）max value achieved is 28.8 MGOe.     

Depth dependence of Néel wall pinning on amorphous CoxSi1−x films with diluted arrays of elliptical antidots

Diluted arrays of elliptical antidots have been fabricated by optical lithography, electron beam lithography and plasma etching on amorphous Co₇₄Si₂₆ magnetic films with a well-defined uniaxial anisotropy. The magnetic behavior of two identical antidot arrays but with different hole depth in comparison with film thickness has been studied by transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect. Significant differences appear in the coercivity depending on whether the magnetic film is completely perforated or not, indicating a much more effective domain wall pinning process when the depth of the holes is smaller than the magnetic film thickness.     

Investigation of temperature dependence of surface anisotropy field and constant in the system of BaFe12O19 nanocrystals

We show a possibility to determine the parameters characterizing surface magnetic anisotropy of platelet BaFe₁₂O₁₉ nanocrystals with thickness comparable to the magnetoperturbed surface layer of high-anisotropic hexagonal crystal. Taking into account the above-mentioned specific character of the particles, we introduce the constant K_S as the surface anisotropy energy per unit volume of near-surface layer. Temperature dependence of the surface anisotropy field as one of the components of effective anisotropy was corrected taking into account the thermal fluctuations. Discovered anomaly initiated calculation of the surface anisotropy constant with different approaches for two different temperature ranges. Analyzing the K_S sign changes with temperature, we conclude about the transformation of surface anisotropy from plane to axis type.     

Tailoring the magnetic properties of manganese ferrite with substitution of a small fraction dysprosium for iron

Manganese ferrite nanoparticles with dysprosium (Dy) ions substituted for iron ions have been prepared by using a sol-gel method. Substitution of a small fraction Dy for Fe results in the larger magnetocrystallite anisotropy of MnFe_2−xDy_xO₄ (x=0.2, 0.4) nanoparticles than that of MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles. The magnetosrystallite anisotropy was enhanced with the increase in the substituted dysprosium content. Combining the result of Mössbauer spectra with ZFC and FC curves, we know clearly that the Dy substitution can modify the anisotropy of MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles for its strong spin-orbital coupling. Through this simple substitution, we can control the magnetosrystallite anisotropy of the magnetic nanoparticles and make good use of the products according as we need.     

Effects of precursor types of Fe and Ni components on the properties of NiFe2O4 powders prepared by spray pyrolysis

The effects of the precursor types of Ni and Fe components on the morphology, mean size, and magnetic property of NiFe₂O₄ powders prepared by spray pyrolysis from the spray solution, with citric acid were studied. The precursor powders with hollow and thin wall structure turned to the nano-sized NiFe₂O₄ powders after post-treatment at a temperature of 800 °C. The nickel ferrite powders obtained from the spray solution with ferric chloride had nanometer sizes and narrow size distributions irrespective of the types of nickel precursor. The nickel ferrite powders obtained from the spray solution with ferric nitrate and nickel chloride also had nanometer size and narrow size distribution. The saturation magnetizations of the NiFe₂O₄ powders changed from 37 to 42 emu/g according to the types of the Fe and Ni precursors. The saturation magnetizations of the NiFe₂O₄ powders increased with increasing the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas of the powders.     

Synthesis and anomalous magnetic properties of CoCr2O4 nanocrystallites with lattice distortion

Nanocrystalline Cobalt chromite (CoCr₂O₄) ceramic has been synthesized under a mild condition, rather than by a high-temperature sintering (e.g. >1673 K, in general). A shifted hysteresis loop with an exchange-bias field of 35.7 kA/m and a high coercivity of 627.9 kA/m at 4.2 K was achieved under the cooling field of 2.39×10⁶ A/m. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) results reveal that a strong lattice distortion and a large amount of surface defects exist in CoCr₂O₄ nanocrystallites (NCs). The anomalous magnetic properties, such as bias field and large coercivity, are attributed not only to the nanosize effect but also to the lattice distortion and crystal defects.     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of antiferromagnetic Co3O4 nanoparticles

Antiferromagnetic Co₃O₄ nanoparticles with diameter around 30 nm have been synthesized by a solution-based method. The phase identification by the wide-angle X-ray powder diffraction indicates that the Co₃O₄ nanoparticle has a cubic spinel structure with a lattice constant of 0.80843(2) nm. The image of field emission scanning electron microscope shows that the nanoparticles are assembled together to form nanorods. The magnetic properties of Co₃O₄ fine particles have been measured by a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. A deviation of the Néel temperature from the bulk is observed, which can be well described by the theory of finite-size scaling. An enhanced coercivity as well as a loop shift are observed in the field-cooled hysteresis loop. The exchange bias field decreases with increasing temperature and diminishes at the Néel temperature. The training effect and the opening of the loop reveal the existence of the spin-glass-like surface spins.     

Magnetic anisotropy in icosahedral cobalt clusters

Magnetic anisotropy has been measured in multiply twinned, icosahedral cobalt clusters. It is found that the low-temperature magnetization of deposited cluster layers is well defined with the Stoner–Wohlfarth model by averaging over clusters with a range of anisotropy energy. Anisotropy energy calculation based on Néel's pair model shows that the icosahedral structure and the layer-by-layer growth of the clusters induce oscillations of the magnetic anisotropy as a function of the filling of the outer surface of the particle. The magnetization measurement at room temperature indicates a weakly correlated cluster glass, as deduced from the approach to saturation that is well described with 2D random anisotropy model.     

Investigation of magneto-anisotropy field for system of particles with near superparamagnetic volume

We obtained the temperature dependence for low-field boundary of the anisotropy field distribution in a system of barium hexaferrite nanocrystals in the temperature range from 300 to 700 K. We treated the experimental data taking into account the influence of thermal fluctuations on the anisotropy field and the transition of particles into the paramagnetic state, stimulated by external magnetic field. We showed that the dependence under consideration is formed by particles of different volume, which increased from 3.5×10⁻¹⁸ to 40×10⁻¹⁸ cm³ while the particles lost their magnetic stability with the temperature growth.     

Magnetic properties of high-Bs Fe–Cu–Si–B nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloys

In the present study, the magnetic properties and microstructures of newly developed Fe–Cu–Si–B alloys prepared by annealing the melt-spun ribbon have been studied. The average size and number density of nanocrystalline grains were about 20 nm and 10²³–10²⁴ m⁻³, respectively. The saturation magnetic flux density B_s for the present alloy is more than 1.8 T, that is about 10% larger than that of Fe-based amorphous alloys. Moreover, core loss P of the present alloy is about half of that of Si-steel up to B=1.7 T.     

Tailoring the exchange bias of Ni/NiO nanogranular samples by the structure control

The exchange bias (EB) effect has been studied in Ni/NiO nanogranular samples obtained by annealing in H₂, at selected temperatures (200≤T_ann≤300 °C), NiO powder previously milled for 5, 10, 20 and 30 h. Both the as-milled NiO powders and the Ni/NiO samples have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction and the exchange bias properties have been investigated in the 5-200 K temperature range. The structure and the composition of the Ni/NiO samples can be satisfactorily controlled during the synthesis procedure by varying both T_ann and the milling time of the precursor NiO powders. In particular, by increasing this last parameter, the mean grain size of the NiO phase reduces down to the final value of 16 nm and the microstrain increases, which is consistent with an enhancement of the structural disorder. The structure of the milled NiO matrix strongly affects the process of nucleation and growth of the Ni nanocrystallites induced by the H₂ treatments, so that, T_ann being equal, the amount and the mean grain size D_Ni of the Ni phase vary substantially in samples having different milling times. Such features of the Ni phase determine the extent of the Ni/NiO interface and consequently the magnitude of the exchange field H_ex: the highest value (∼940 Oe) has been measured at T=5 K in a sample containing ∼7 wt% Ni and with D_Ni=19 nm. However, in Ni/NiO samples with very different structural characteristics and different values of H_ex at T=5 K, the EB effect vanishes at the same temperature (∼200 K) and the same thermal dependence of H_ex is observed. We consider that the evolution of the EB effect with temperature is ultimately determined by the microstructure of the Ni/NiO interface, which cannot be substantially modified by changing the synthesis parameters, milling time and T_ann.     

Soft magnetic properties and giant magneto-impedance effect of Fe73.5−xCrxSi13.5B9Nb3Au1 (x=1–5) alloys

In this paper, the effect of microstructural and surface morphological developments on the soft magnetic properties and giant magneto-impedance (GMI) effect of Fe_73.5−xCr_xSi_13.5B₉Nb₃Au₁ (x=1, 2, 3, 4, 5) alloys was investigated. It was found that the Cr addition causes slight decrease in the mean grain size of α-Fe(Si) grains. AFM results indicated a large variation of surface morphology of density and size of protrusions along the ribbon plane due to structural changes caused by thermal treatments with increasing Cr content. Ultrasoft magnetic properties such as the increase of magnetic permeability and the decrease of coercivity were observed in the samples annealed at 540 °C for 30 min. Accordingly, the GMI effect was also observed in the annealed samples.