Low-field microwave absorption behaviors on single layer magnetic film and exchange coupled multilayer magnetic film

This study examined the magnetization reversal effects on low-field microwave absorption in a Fe_91.6B_2.5N_5.9 single layered film with in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and a multi-layered film with giant magnetoresistivity using ferromagnetic resonance measurements at 9.84 GHz. Two different kinds of absorption modes were observed at near zero dc field and high dc field. The signals at high-field showed all the features of ferromagnetic resonance due to spin precession. However, the absorption signals at low-field should be associated with the switching field at unsaturated magnetic field region.     

Complex permittivity, permeability and microwave absorbing properties of (Mn2−xZnx)U-type hexaferrite

Complex permittivity, permeability and microwave absorbing properties of a U-type hexaferrite series Ba₄Mn_(2−x)Zn_xFe₃₆O₆₀ (with 0≤x≤2 in step of 0.5) have been examined in the X-band (8.2-12.4 GHz) frequency range. The series have been prepared using conventional solid state reaction route. Microstructural variations with composition have been found with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microgram (SEM). The complex permittivity (ε^?=ε′−jε″) and permeability (μ^?=μ′−jμ″) were measured using vector network analyzer (Agilient Make model PNA E8364B). These parameters were then used for calculating the reflection loss for determination of microwave absorbing properties. Addition of Zn resulted in an increase in reflection loss from −4 dB (or 60 % absorption) in sample with x= 0 to −32 dB (99.92% absorption) in sample with x=1 when the sample thickness was 1.7 mm. Multiple peaks of resonance were obtained in the dielectric and magnetic loss spectra for all samples with x>0. The result indicates that the sample with composition Ba₄MnZnFe₃₆O₆₀, i.e., x=1, can be used effectively for microwave absorption and suppression of electromagnetic interference.     

A method for analyzing the microwave absorption properties of magnetic materials

Based on transmission line theory, a complex thickness is introduced to analyze the electromagnetic wave absorption properties of materials with high magnetic loss and low dielectric loss. At each frequency the real part of the complex thickness denotes the thickness of the absorber to reach maximum absorption, while the absolute value of the imaginary part of the normalized complex thickness represents the degree of impedance mismatch between the material and free space. Using this method, the intensity of the reflection loss and the corresponding material thickness can be well predicted and understood. This method describes well the microwave absorption behaviors of PANI/α-Fe and PANI/CIP/Fe₃O₄ composites. It is found that the electromagnetic energy loss in the material, as well as the interference cancellation of the reflected waves at the air-material interface, contributes to the global minimum of reflection loss for the two composites.     

Only Ku-band microwave absorption by Fe3O4/ferrocenyl-CuPc hybrid nanospheres

A novel kind of hybrid nanospheres made of Fe₃O₄ and ferrocenyl-CuPc (FCP) was prepared via effective solvothermal method and performed microwave absorptivity only in Ku-band with minimum reflection loss of −25 dB at 16.0 GHz corresponding to absorbing about 99.7% content of microwave. Scanning electron microscopy images indicated that the nanospheres with uniform particle size distribution have the average diameter of 135 nm. Due to the synergistic reaction between magnetic ferrocenyl-CuPc and Fe₃O₄, the hybrid nanospheres showed novel electromagnetic properties. The real part of complex permittivity of hybrid nanospheres remains stable in the range of 0.5–12.0 GHz and has a large fluctuation at 16.5 GHz. Moreover, the dielectric loss of hybrid nanospheres also appeared a sharp peak at 16.3 GHz with the value of 2.7. The specific gravity of hybrid nanospheres is about 2.08. On the basis of these results, the novel hybrids are believed to have potential applications in the microwave absorbing area in Ku-band.     

The influence of temperature on magnetic and microwave absorption properties of Fe/graphite oxide nanocomposites

Fe/graphite oxide nanocomposites were prepared by inserting Fe³⁺ into layers of graphite oxide and then reducing Fe³⁺/graphite oxide compound at different reduced reaction temperatures in H₂. The composition, crystal structure, magnetic and microwave absorption properties of Fe/graphite oxide nanocomposites were investigated using elemental analysis, transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetic hysteresis curve and electromagnetic parameter analysis. The results show that the densities of samples are 2.43–2.47 g/cm³ and the nanocomposites are soft magnetic materials. The optimum reduced reaction temperature for preparing Fe/graphite oxide nanocomposites is 600 °C. With the increase of the thickness of the sample, the matching frequency tends to shift to the lower frequency region, and theoretical reflection loss becomes less at the matching frequency. Microwave absorption property of Fe/graphite oxide nanocomposites prepared at 600  °C (FeGO600) is the best. When the thickness is 1 mm, the maximum theoretical reflection loss of FeGO600 is −9 dB and the frequency region in which the maximum reflection loss is more than −6.0 dB is 11–18 GHz. In conclusion, FeGO600 is a good candidate for microwave absorbent due to its low density, wide frequency region for microwave absorption and large reflection loss.     

Locally resolved photothermally modulated ferromagnetic resonance on epitaxial Fe-films deposited on laterally patterned GaAs

(0 0 1)Fe-mesa were grown on a GaAs high electron mobility transistor (HEMT)-structure. Magnetic properties were investigated by locally resolved photothermally modulated ferromagnetic resonance (PM-FMR). The surface and the in-plane anisotropy are decreased in HEMT-areas. The field independent response of PM-FMR provides information on the electrical properties of the GaAs-heterostructure and yields evidence of preparation dependent lifetime effects of the photo-carriers.     

Non-resonant microwave absorption studies of superconducting MgB2 and MgB2 + MgO

Non-resonant microwave absorption (NRMA) studies of superconducting MgB₂ and a sample containing ∼10% by weight of MgO in MgB₂ are reported. The NRMA results indicate near absence of intergranular weak links in the pure MgB₂ sample. A linear temperature dependence of the lower critical field H _c1 is observed indicating a non-s wave superconductivity. However, the phase reversal of the NRMA signal which could suggest d wave symmetry is also not observed. In the MgB₂ + MgO sample, much larger low field dependent absorption is observed indicating the presence of intergranular weak links. The hysteretic behavior of NRMA is compared and contrasted in the two samples. In the pure MgB₂ sample, a large hysteresis is observed between the forward and the reverse scans of the magnetic field indicating strong pinning of flux lines. This hysteresis saturates a few degrees below T _c while in the MgB₂ + MgO sample, a much slower increase of hysteresis with decreasing temperature is observed, a signature of weaker pinning.     

Anisotropy of hyperfine interactions as a tool for interpretation of NMR spectra in magnetic materials

Approach for interpretation of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra in magnetic materials is presented, consisting in employing the anisotropy of hyperfine interaction. The anisotropic parts of hyperfine magnetic fields on ⁵⁷Fe nuclei are calculated ab initio for a model example of lithium ferrite and utilized to assign the experimental NMR spectral lines to iron sites in the crystal structure.     

Enhanced microwave absorption of Fe flakes with magnesium ferrite cladding

Surface cladding of Magnesium ferrite (MgFe₂O₄) was found to be helpful for effectively decreasing the permittivity of Fe flakes. So the electromagnetic impedance matching was improved, resulting in a good microwave absorption. Careful characterizations showed that the giant decreases of permittivity were ascribed to the high resistivity of surface due to the MgFe₂O₄ cladding. A high frequency microwave absorption property with thin absorber thickness was obtained for the Fe flakes with 10 wt% MgFe₂O₄.     

The microwave magnetism of epitaxy LiFe5O8 thin film modulated by thickness

Spinel lithium ferrite LiFe₅O₈ (LFO) has attracted robust research interests due to their potential applications in isolators, circulators, and phase shifters. In this work, a series of LFO thin film with various thickness were fabricated on SrTiO₃ (STO) single-crystalline substrates by pulsed laser deposition technology. We systematically investigated the influences of the thickness of LFO thin film on the crystal structure and magnetic properties. The in-plane lattice parameter a and in-plane lattice parameter c were modulated by controlling the thickness of LFO thin film, which was confirmed using reciprocal space mappings (RSMs) technology. Furthermore, the microwave magnetism of LFO thin film with various thickness were studied systematically by ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurement. Moreover, with increasing the thickness of LFO thin film from 50 to 180 nm, the difference of the ferromagnetic resonance field between easy- and hard-magnetization axis can be enhanced and reach to 330 Oe. These results illustrate that dynamic magnetic properties can be controlled by tuning the thickness of LFO thin film. Our work provides an effective method to tailor the lattice parameter and modify the magnetic properties of the LFO thin film and contributes to further design high-frequency functional device.     

Electromagnetic and microwave absorption properties of Fe3O4 magnetic films plated on hollow glass spheres

Magnetic hollow spheres of low density were prepared by plating Fe₃O₄ magnetic films on hollow glass spheres using ferrite plating. The complex permeability and permittivity of spheres–wax composites were measured in the range of 2–18 GHz. The complex permeability and permittivity increased, and the dielectric and magnetic losses were improved as the volume fraction of the magnetic spheres in the composites increased from 60% to 80%, which also resulted in a great improvement of microwave absorption properties. For composites with volume fraction 80%, its magnetic resonance frequency was at about 13 GHz and it appeared three loss peaks in the calculated reflection loss curves; the bandwidth less than −10 dB was almost 4 GHz which was just in the Ku-band frequencies (12–18 GHz) and a minimum reflection loss of −20 dB was obtained when the thickness was 2.6 mm; the microwave absorbing properties were mainly due to the magnetic loss. The results showed that the magnetic spheres composites were good and light microwave absorbers in the Ku-band frequencies.     

Effect of shape of Fe3Al particles on their microwave permeability and absorption properties

Flake-shaped and sphere-shaped Fe₃Al powder-paraffine composites have been studied in the microwave frequency range. Mössbauer results show that the flake-shaped Fe₃Al particles have easy magnetization plane, which indicates that it is planar-anisotropy. Enhanced permeability is achieved in flake-shaped Fe₃Al compared with the sphere-shaped Fe₃Al. The permeability is further enhanced by using a rotational orientation method. The complex permeability can be characterized by the superposition of two types of magnetic resonance. The resonance peak at high frequency is attributed to the natural resonance, while the peak at low frequency is attributed to the domain-wall resonance. By employing the shape effect and the rotational orientation, the peak frequency of reflection loss for the oriented sample was adjusted to L-band. The planar-anisotropy Fe₃Al powder-paraffine composite can be attractive candidates for thinner microwave absorbers in L-band (1-2 GHz).     

Preparation and microwave absorption properties of electroless Co-P-coated nickel hollow spheres

Co-P-coated nickel hollow spheres (NHSs) were prepared by electroless plating technology. The morphology and component content of Co-P coating varies with the change of sodium citrate concentration in elctroless plating solution. And as phosphorus content increases in coatings, resulting in smaller grain, coercivity of microspheres decreases. The microwave absorption properties of spheres-wax composite were investigated in the range of 2-18 GHz. Both permittivity and permeability increase with an increase of cobalt content in coatings. For composite layer, a minimal reflection loss (RL, −36.9 dB) of was predicted at 8.1 GHz with a thickness of 3 mm.     

Remanence of the interparticle interactions and its influence on the microwave absorption in Co-ferrite

Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were obtained by the sol–gel method at several annealing temperatures: 400, 450, 500, 550 and 600 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the formation of the spinel phase with a nanoparticle size in the 17–26 nm range as function of the annealing temperature. The Mössbauer spectra at room temperature showed the presence of a partial inverse spinel structure. Saturation magnetization and the coercive field are strongly dependent on the annealing temperature and they can be associated with variations of the nanoparticles size. Microwave power absorption (MPA) (dP/dH) measurements were carried out as a function of DC field (H_DC) in asymmetric sweeps in the 0 kOeH_DC9 kOe range, at X-band (9.4 GHz), for all annealing temperatures. The large hysteresis in the MPA is due to interparticle interaction associated with its demagnetizing-like nature.     

Microwave absorption behavior of a polyaniline magnetic composite in the X-band

The development of nanosized materials is a subject of considerable interest both for understanding of the fundamental properties of magnetic materials for new technological applications. Polyaniline, composites Fe₃O₄/(PANI) with conducting, magnetic and electromagnetic properties with different amounts of Fe₃O₄ were successfully prepared. The samples were structurally characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and magnetically, with a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. In order to explore microwave-absorbing properties in X-band, the composite nanoparticles were mixed with an epoxy resin to be converted into a microwave-absorbing composite. Microwave behavior with different Fe₃O₄/(PANI)-epoxy resin ratio was studied using a microwave vector network analyzer (VNA) in the range 7.5 to 13 GHz. For a constant thickness of 1.5 mm, absorption increases with the magnetite contents in the composites and in the oriented samples by the application of a magnetic field.     

Electric field dependence of the Curie temperature and microwave absorption in displacive ferroelectrics with impurities

The electric field dependence of the complex dielectric constant in an anharmonic defect ferroelectric crystal is calculated in its paraelectric phase from the Silverman-Joseph-Hamiltonian augmented with fourth-order phonon coordinates using double-time Green’s functions. The field and impurity dependence of the shift in the Curie temperature is discussed. An expression is obtained for the electric field dependence of dielectric loss at microwave frequencies in defect ferroelectrics. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Effect of 3d transition metal substitution on microstructure and microwave absorption properties of FeSiB nanocrystalline flakes

Effect of 3d transition metal substitution (Co and Ni) is studied on microstructure and absorption properties of FeSiB flakes in GHz. Fe_78−xM_xSi₉B₁₃ (M=Co or Ni, x=0, 5, 10 and 15) nanocrystalline flakes with nanocrystal/amorphous two-phase structure were prepared by ball milling. Substitution decreases the nanocrystal size and affects microwave behavior both compositionally and structurally according to the substitution mechanism. Compositional influence is contributing to the change of intrinsic magnetization parameters; structural influence works on exchange coupling. Absorption band of Fe₇₈Si₉B₁₃ flakes shifts towards lower frequency by the substitution, and Fe₆₃Co₁₅Si₉B₁₃ absorber shows promising absorption at C-band.     

Attractive microwave absorption and the impedance match effect in zinc oxide and carbonyl iron composite

The flower-like ZnO and ZnO/carbonyl-iron composite have been prepared by a sonochemical route and ball-milling process, respectively. For ZnO/carbonyl-iron composite, a reflection loss (RL) exceeding −20 dB was obtained in a broad frequency range of 8.4-17.9 GHz with a thin thickness of 1.2-2.3 mm. An optimal RL of −61 dB was found at 11.7 GHz for an absorber thickness of 1.91 mm. It is demonstrated that the attractive microwave-absorption properties are a consequence of a proper electro-magnetic impedance match and geometrical cancellation at the air-material interface. In addition, an impedance mismatch function was proposed, which provides an effective method to determine the microwave absorbing properties from the intrinsic materials constants. The calculated value of matching frequency and thickness is well consistent with the experimental data. The method also provides a simple theoretical graphic aid for determining the absorption characteristics and the location of the matching conditions in the frequency domain.     

Preparation and microwave absorption properties of loose nanoscale Fe3O4 spheres

Magnetite nanoparticles are found to assemble into randomly dispersed loose nanoscale spheres with diameters ∼300 nm in ethylene glycol in the presence of polyethylene and a small quantity of polyethyleneimine. Modern analysis methods are employed to provide structure information of the magnetic loose spheres. The ferromagnetic saturation magnetization is ∼80.0 emu g⁻¹, and the coercive force is 209 Oe. The microwave electromagnetic parameters are measured by a vector network analyzer. The synthesized loose spheres exhibit novel microwave properties compared with the conventional Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. An additional microwave loss peak appears in the Ku band, which is attributed to the loose structure.