A Study of the Origin of Weak Ferromagnetism in Zn1−x Co x O

To study the origin of ferromagnetism in Zn_1?x Co _x O thin films, its thermal diffusivity, in addition to its magnetization measurements, were analyzed. Thin films of Zn_1?x Co _x O (x = 0.03) were deposited on Si (100) substrates through ultrasonic spray pyrolysis. Magnetization M(B) measurements at low temperature showed a hysteresis loop that indicated the existence of ferromagnetic ordering in Zn_0.97Co_0.03O. However, the magnetic moment per Co ion was much lower than expected. A comparison of M(T) measured at zero-field-cooled and field-cooled conditions showed a superparamagnetic-like behavior, with a blocking temperature of about 130 K. Temperature dependence on the thermal diffusivity of Zn_0.97Co_0.03O showed a pronounced lambda-shaped minimum at 130 K, which indicated the existence of a second-order phase transition at this temperature. The weak ferromagnetism in the Zn_0.97Co_0.03O with the Curie temperature of 130 K was ascribed to the uncompensated magnetic moment at the surface of CoO nanoclusters.     

Role of Cr ions on the microstructure development, and magnetic phase evolution of Ni0.7Zn0.3Fe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles

A series of ferrite samples with the chemical formula Ni_0.7Zn_0.3Cr_xFe_2−xO₄ (x = 0.0-0.5) were prepared by a sol-gel auto-combustion method and annealed at 600 °C for 4 h. The resultant powders were investigated by various techniques, including X-ray diffractometry (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and permeability studies. The prepared samples have a cubic spinel structure with no impurity phase. As the Cr³⁺ content x increases, bulk density and crystallite size decrease, whereas porosity increases. The saturation magnetization decreases linearly from 58.31 to 42.90 emu/g with increasing Cr³⁺ content. However, coercivity increases with increasing Cr³⁺ substitution. The magnetic moments calculated from Neel's molecular-field model are in agreement in the experiment results. The initial permeability (μ_i) decreases with increasing Cr³⁺ substitution. The decrease in initial permeability (μ_i) is attributed to decrease in magnetization on addition of Cr³⁺. The real part of the permeability decreases gradually with increasing frequency in accordance with Snoek's law. The Curie temperature decreases linearly with increasing Cr³⁺ content.     

Effect of Gd doping on magnetic, electric and dielectric properties of MgGdxFe2−xO4 ferrites processed by solid state reaction technique

MgGd_xFe_2−xO₄ (x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15) ferrites, with improved dc resistivity, initial permeability, saturation magnetization, and extremely low relative loss factor, have been synthesized by solid state reaction technique. The microstructures, electric, dielectric and magnetic properties have been investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, Keithley 2611 system, impedance analyzer and VSM respectively. The addition of Gadolinium in Mg ferrite has been shown to play a crucial role in enhancing the electric, dielectric and magnetic properties. The dc resistivity is increased by two orders of magnitude as compared to Mg ferrite. Saturation magnetization has been increased by two times and remnant magnetization has been increased by more than three times due to the doping of Gd³⁺ ions in Mg ferrite. The relative loss factor was found to have very low values and is of the order of 10⁻⁴-10⁻⁵ in the frequency range 0.1-30 MHz. The variations of electric, dielectric and magnetic properties of the samples have been studied as a function of frequency and Gd³⁺ ions concentration measured at room temperature. High resistivity and improved magnetic properties can be correlated with better compositional stoichiometry and the replacement of Fe³⁺ ions by Gd³⁺ ions. The mechanisms responsible to these results have been discussed in this paper.     

Structural,IR, and Magnetic Studies of Annealed Li-Ferrite Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles of spinel Li-ferrite, Li_0.5Fe_2.5O₄, were prepared by sol-gel autocombustion technique and annealed at different temperatures (T _a = 673, 873, and 1073 K), i.e., at relatively low annealing temperatures to control the crystallite size. The saturation magnetization (M _s) increased, and the surface area decreased by increasing the crystallite size, while Curie temperature (T _C) remained almost constant. The critical crystallite size (D _s), 74 nm, which corresponds to a maximum value of coercivity was determined. Samples with crystallite sizes ≤ D _s had low initial permeability μ_i, while the other samples lying in the multidomain region showed very high μ_i values indicating a reversible domain wall displacement mechanism. Hence, the crystallite size plays an important role in changing the physical and magnetic properties of Li-ferrite.     

Magnetic properties and phase diagram of Ni50Mn50−xGax ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

We present the magnetic properties and the magnetic phase diagram of Ni₅₀Mn_50?xGa_x ferromagnetic shape memory alloys across a wide concentration range. Martensitic transformation, intermediate transformation, B2–L2₁ order–disorder transformation, Néel and Curie temperatures are determined for the prepared samples. The martensitic transformation temperature decreases with increasing Ga concentration and bends two times when crossing the Curie temperature and the intermediate-phase transformation temperature. Spontaneous magnetization and its composition dependence were also investigated. Composition dependence of the transformation temperatures and the spontaneous magnetization in the martensite phase of Ni₅₀Mn_50?xGa_x are compared with those of Ni₅₀Mn_50?xIn_x and Ni₅₀Mn_50?xSn_x, revealing a similarity in the NiMn-based alloy systems.     

Fabrication and magnetic properties of NiFe-ZnO nano-granular films

Excellent soft magnetic and high frequency properties were obtained successfully in the (Ni75Fe25 )x(ZnO)1-x granular films fabricated on the glass substrate by RF magnetron oblique sputtering. The microstructure, mag- netic and high frequency properties were investigated systematically. High resolution transmission electron micrographs show that the film consists of fcc Ni75Fe25 particles uniformly embedded in an amorphous insulating matrix ZnO with particle size a few nanometers. The (Ni75Fe25 ) x(ZnO)1-x films exhibit excellent soft magnetic properties in a wide x range from 0.50 to 0.80 with coercivity not exceeding 5×10-4T, which is ascribed to the exchange coupling between magnetic particles. Especially for the sample with x = 0.64, coercivities in hard and easy axes are 5.0×10-5 and 3.6×10-4 T, respectively, and the electric resistivity ρ reaches 1,790 μΩ·cm. The dependence of complex permeability u = u’ - ju" on frequency f shows that the real part u’ is more than 130 below 500 MHz, and the ferromagnetic resonance frequency fr reaches 1.32 GHz, implying the promising for high frequency application.     

Structural state and magnetic properties of cementite alloyed with manganese

Using X-ray diffraction analysis, M?ssbauer spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements, the structure, parameters of hyperfine interactions, localization of Mn atoms in the lattice, coercive force, and specific saturation magnetization have been investigated in the mechanically alloyed and annealed cementite (alloyed with manganese) of compositions (Fe_{1 ? x} Mn _x )₃C (x = 0?C0.12). It has been shown that strongly deformed cementite resides in the low-coercivity state and, after annealing in the vicinity of 500°C, in the high-coercivity state. Alloying with manganese reduces the coercive force, the specific saturation magnetization, and the Curie temperature of cementite. Inhomogeneities of the distribution of manganese atoms indicate the temperature dependence of the coercive force of mechanically alloyed and annealed cementite samples.     

Properties of Co-alloyed Ni-Fe-Ga Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloys

It is experimentally found that in the Ni₅₄Fe_20-x Co _x Ga₂₆ ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, Co variation from 0 to 9 at.% leads to: (i) almost linear change of martensitic transformation temperatures from ?70 °C to 120 °C; (ii) a non-monotonous change of the Curie temperature, and (iii) a linear decrease of saturation magnetization from 60 to 43 Am²/kg. The selected alloys grown as single crystals have been (magneto-) mechanically tested. The superelastic effect has been measured to be about 4%. The magneto-strain shows a training effect which is an evidence of the effect of magnetic-field-induced twin-boundary motion.     

Magnetic properties of the Mn1.9 − x Co x Ge compounds with a hexagonal crystal structure

Concentrational dependences of the lattice parameters, spontaneous magnetic moment, and magnetic ordering temperature of nonstoichiometric Mn_{1.9 ? x} Co _x Ge (0.8 < x < 1.65) compounds with a hexagonal crystal structure of the Ni₂In type have been studied. As the Co content (x) increases from 1.1 to 1.2, the Curie temperature and magnetic moment were found to increase abruptly. The magnetization curves measured for oriented single crystals indicate the presence of a concentrational spin-reorientation transition in this system. The experimental data obtained are discussed taking into account the results of energy-band electronic-structure calculations.     

Effect of Ca on the microstructure and magnetocaloric effects in the La1−xCaxFe11.5Si1.5 compounds

The effect of Ca on the microstructure and magnetocaloric effects has been investigated in the La_1−xCa_xFe_11.5Si_1.5 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) compounds. The introduction of Ca leads to the appearance of minor α-Fe and Ca-rich phases, which affects the actual compositions of the main phases for the Ca containing samples. With increasing the Ca concentration, the Curie temperature T_C increases from 183 to 208 K, and the maximum magnetic entropy changes |ΔS| at the respective T_C with a magnetic field change from 0 to 5 T are 21.3, 19.5, 16.9, and 11.2 J/kg K for x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3, respectively. The nature of the magnetic transition changes from first-order to second-order with an increase in Ca concentration, which leads to a reduction of the hysteresis and a decrease of the magnetic entropy change. However, the relative cooling power for La_1−xCa_xFe_11.5Si_1.5 compounds remains comparable with or even larger than that of other magnetocaloric materials over a wide temperature range. The higher T_C and the smaller hysteresis in comparison with those of the parent compound suggest that the La_1−xCa_xFe_11.5Si_1.5 compounds could be suitable candidates for magnetic refrigerants in the corresponding temperature range.     

Alloying Behavior and Properties of FeSiBAlNiCo<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> High Entropy Alloys Fabricated by Mechanical Alloying and Spark Plasma Sintering

In this paper, FeSiBAlNiCo_x (x = 0.2, 0.8) high-entropy alloy (HEA) powders were fabricated by mechanical alloying process, and the powders milled for 140 h were sintered by spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The microstructures and properties of as-milled powders and as-sintered samples were investigated. The results reveal that the final milling products (140 h) of both sample powders present the fully amorphous structure. The increased Co contents obviously enhance the glass forming ability and thermal stability of amorphous HEA powders, which are reflected by the shorter formation time of fully amorphous phase and the higher onset crystallization temperature, respectively. According to coercivity, the as-milled FeSiBAlNiCo_x (x = 0.2, 0.8) powders (140 h) are the semi-hard magnetic materials. FeSiBAlNiCo_0.8 HEA powders possess the highest saturation magnetization and largest remanence ratio. The SPS-ed products of both bulk HEAs are composed of body-centered cubic solid solution, and FeSi and FeB intermetallic phases. They possess the high relative density above 97% and excellent microhardness exceeding 1150 HV. The as-sintered bulks undergo the remarkable increase in saturation magnetization compared with the as-milled state. The SPS-ed FeSiBAlNiCo_0.8 HEA exhibits the soft magnetic properties. The electrochemical corrosion test is carried out in 3.5% NaCl solution. The SPS-ed FeSiBAlNiCo_0.2 HEA reveals the better passivity with low passive current density, and the higher pitting resistance with wide passive region.     

Magnetocaloric effect of （Gd1-xCex）Co2 compounds in low magnetic fields

The phases in the compounds (Gd_1−x Ce _x )Co₂ with x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 were investigated by X-ray diffraction, and the magnetocaloric effect for x = 0–0.4 was studied by magnetization measurements. The samples are almost single phase with a cubic MgCu₂-type structure for x = 0–0.5. The magnetization decreases with an increase in Ce content. There is almost no magnetic transition for x = 0.5 at 100–350 K. The Curie temperature (T _c) of the (Gd_1−x Ce _x )Co₂ compounds with x from 0.1 to 0.4 are 350, 344, 340, and 338 K respectively. The maximum magnetic entropy change is 2.34 J·kg⁻¹·K⁻¹ when x = 0.3. The results of Arrott plots show that the magnetic phase transition is second-order magnetic phase transition in these compounds.     

Dielectric and magnetic properties of 0.7Bi(Fe1−xCrx)O3–0.1BaTiO3–0.2PbTiO3 solid solutions

0.7Bi(Fe_1−xCr_x)O₃–0.1BaTiO₃–0.2PbTiO₃ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) solid solutions were prepared by the traditional ceramic process. X-ray diffraction results revealed that the samples with x = 0–0.3 showed pure perovskite structure. Frequency and temperature dependences of dielectric constants and dielectric loss of the samples were investigated. Both dielectric constant and the loss tangent increased at given frequencies (100 Hz–1 MHz), while the Curie temperature of the solid solutions decreased with increasing Cr content. Room temperature magnetic hysteresis loops indicated that an appropriate amount of Cr could improve magnetization of the solid solutions.     

Electric and Dielectric Properties of Cr-Ga Substituted BaM Hexaferrites for High-Frequency Applications

Single-phase Cr-Ga-substituted BaM hexaferrites with chemical formula BaCr _x Ga _x Fe_12?2x O₁₉ (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4) are synthesized by means of a sol-gel autocombustion technique. Cold isostatic-pressing technique has been used to press the as-prepared powders into pellets. Room-temperature DC resistivity enhances with the substitution of Cr-Ga contents. The temperature dependence of the DC resistivity shows the semiconducting nature. The dielectric constant and dielectric tangent loss decrease, while AC conductivity increases with the increasing applied field frequency in the range of 1 MHz-3 GHz consistent with Koop’s theory and Maxwell-Wagner’s bi-layer model. The magnetic loss enhances, while the reflection coefficient decreases with the increase of frequency as well as with the increase of Cr-Ga contents. Owing to improved properties, these materials are potential candidates for high-frequency applications in GHz range.     

Large magnetic entropy change near room temperature in La0.7(Ca0.27Ag0.03)MnO3 perovskite

In this paper, the magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of La_0.7(Ca_1−xAg_x)_0.3MnO₃ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.7, and 1) powder samples are reported. Our polycrystalline compounds were synthesized using the solid state reaction method at high temperature. Magnetization measurements versus temperature showed that all our samples exhibited a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition with decreasing temperature. The Curie temperature, T_C, has been found to increase from ∼250 K for x = 0-270 K for x = 1. Ag doping weakens the first order phase transition, and at higher Ag doping, the phase transition is of second order. For the La_0.7(Ca_0.27Ag_0.03)MnO₃ composition, the maxima of the magnetic entropy changes from the applied magnetic field (ΔS_M) at 2 and 5 T are about 4.5 and 7.75 J/kg K, respectively, at the Curie temperature of ∼263 K. The relative cooling power (RCP) values without hysteresis loss are about 102 and 271 J/kg for the applied fields of 2 and 5 T, respectively. Due to the large ΔS_M, large RCP, and high Curie temperature, La_0.7(Ca_0.27Ag_0.03)MnO₃ is promising for application in potential magnetic refrigeration near room temperature.     

The effect of Co doping on the magnetic entropy changes in Ni44−xCoxMn45Sn11 alloys

A series of Ni_44?xCo_xMn₄₅Sn₁₁ (x = 0, 1, and 2) ferromagnetic shape memory alloys (FSMAs) were prepared by arc melting method. The martensitic transition (MT) and Curie temperatures vary obviously with Co addition. With the increasing temperature, the magnetization increases from a weak-magnetic martensite to a ferromagnetic austenite, for x = 0 and 1. But in the case of x = 2, the magnetization increases from a ferromagnetic martensite to another ferromagnetic austenite. Under an applied magnetic field of 10 kOe, the peak values of magnetic entropy changes are 10.1, 14.1, and 6.2 J/(kg K), for x = 0, 1, and 2, respectively. The magnetic phase transition near the martensitic transition temperatures and the field-induced metamagnetism should account for the large magnetic entropy changes.     

Physical and Magnetic Properties of Calcium-Substituted Li-Zn Ferrite

The effect of Ca-substitution on the physical and magnetic properties of Li_0.3-0.5x Zn_0.4Ca _x Fe_2.3-0.5x O₄ ferrites (x = 0.0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.05), prepared by the standard ceramic method, has been studied. It is found that the saturation magnetization increases up to x = 0.01 and then it decreases. On the other hand, the initial permeability decreased while the Curie temperature remained almost constant with increasing x. The coercivity and remanence ratio increased with increasing x. A. A. Sattar is on leave from Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt     

Phase, structural, and magnetocaloric properties of high temperature annealed LaFe11.6Si1.4BX

The phase relation, microstructural, hysteresis, Curie temperature, and magnetocaloric effects of LaFe_11.6Si_1.4B_x (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) prepared by arc-melting and then annealed at 1373 K (1.5 h) + 1523 K (5 h) were investigated. It was found that the main phase is NaZn₁₃-type phase, the impurity phases include α-Fe, Fe₂B, and small amount of La₅Si₃. The boron atom can dissolve into the crystal lattice of LaFe_11.6Si_1.4B_x to form interstitial solid solution, but the content of solid solution is not up to x = 0.5. For LaFe_11.6Si_1.4B_x (x = 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) compounds, the Curie temperature T_C increases from 190.6 to 198.3 K with the increasing of B content from x = 0.1 to 0.5. The first order magnetic transition behavior becomes weaker and magnetic entropy change ΔS_M (T, H) drops with the increasing of B content, respectively. However, ΔS_M (T, H) still remains a large value, 11.18 J/kg K, when x reaches to 0.5 at 0-2 T. An attractive feature is that both thermal and magnetic hysteresis can be reduced remarkably by introducing B. The maximum magnetic hysteresis loss near T_C drops from 22.52 to 4.95 J/kg when the content of B increases from x = 0.1 to 0.5.     

Influence of metalloids and annealing on the fundamental magnetic properties of bulk Fe–(Cr,Mo,Ga)–(P,B,C) metallic glasses

Although bulk ferromagnetic metallic glasses have been synthesized in many alloy systems, the dependence of fundamental magnetic properties – saturation moment and Curie temperature – on annealing treatments and the content of alloying metalloids has not been well understood. In the present work, bulk ferromagnetic glassy alloys of Fe_77.5−x(Cr_0.33Mo_0.33Ga_0.33)_xP₁₂B_5.5C₅ (x = 8–14), (Fe₆₆Cr₄Mo₄Ga₄P₁₂C₅)_(100−x)/95B_x (x = 3–7), and (Fe₆₆Cr₄Mo₄Ga₄P₁₂B₅) _(100−x)/95C_x (x = 3–8.5) were prepared by a flux-melting and water-quenching technique. The effects of alloying metals (Cr, Mo, and Ga), metalloids (P, B, and C), and annealing treatments on the saturation moment and Curie temperature of these bulk glasses were investigated. The saturation moment and Curie temperature decrease linearly with increasing metals content. However, the saturation moment and Curie temperature change complicatedly with metalloids content. The Curie temperature increases with both annealing temperature and annealing time. The dependence of magnetic properties on the composition and annealing treatment for our bulk glasses was compared with that for glassy ribbons. The results suggest that the dependence found in our bulk glasses can be explained by the theoretical models proposed for glassy ribbons.     

Negative magnetization, magnetic anisotropy and magnetic ordering studies on Al-substituted copper ferrite

Detailed magnetic properties of Al³⁺-modified CuFe₂O₄ spinel ferrite system: CuAl_xFe_2−xO₄; x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6, have been studied by means of X-ray powder diffraction, field cooled (FC) and zero field cooled magnetization (ZFC) (H = 10 mTesla, T = 4-325 K), magnetic hysteresis (H_max = 2 Tesla, T = 10 and 300 K) and low field (40 A/m) ac susceptibility (T = 300-750 K) measurements. The system exhibits canted spin structure. It has been shown that the observed features of the FC-ZFC magnetization and ac susceptibility curves arise due to the low magneto crystalline anisotropy, not due to the cluster spin-glass-like magnetic ordering. The interesting features like low temperature cusp in the ZFC magnetization for all the compositions and negative magnetization for x = 0.6 composition have been observed. An attempt has been made to explain the negative magnetization within the framework of available models.