Effect of AFM and FM exchange interaction on magnetic anisotropy properties of single domain SmFeO3 at nanoscale

Abstract

Multifunctional Samarium orthoferrites (SmFeO3) nano-particles have been studying extensively due to their applications in digital memory, ultrafast switching, temperature dependent spin valves and sensor applications. Magnetic properties of SFO were investigated by varying particle size, initial magnetic state of material and applied field under Zero Field Cooling (ZFC) and Field Cooling (FC) protocol. It was found that the remnant magnetization, M−H behavior and coercive field are extremely dependent on particle size. It was also found that the magnetic behavior of single domain SFO nanoparticle is completely different to that of multi domain bulk due to uniaxial magneto crystalline anisotropy. The magnetization vs temperature (M−T) behavior of nano-particle depends on unidirectional anisotropy along with uniaxial magneto-crystalline anisotropy of SFO. The Sm3+ spin ordering in nano-SFO compensates to that of Fe3+ spin ordering at higher temperature (~13 K) compare to that of bulk (~4K). The Sm3+ spin unidirectional magnetic anisotropy is more effective in between ~13 K to ~65 K and Fe3+ spin unidirectional anisotropy is effective at higher temperature beyond ~65 K. Magnetically poled nano-particles show completely different behavior to that of non-poled nano-SFO particles at low temperature. In nutshell, the manuscript shows why one can’t predict the magnetic behavior of the SFO without knowing its particle or grain size, initial magnetic state of the particle, procedure of measurement, the magnitude of applied field and temperature etc., since all these affects the magneto crystalline anisotropy as well as unidirectional anisotropy of SFO.