Effect of High Magnetic Field Annealing on Magnetic Properties of CoFe$_{2}$O$_{4}$ Nanowire Arrays

Abstract

Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanowire arrays with different diameters were prepared in porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template by a sol-gel template method. A magnetic field annealing procedure was performed in the direction along wire axis (out of sample planes) at 600°C under 10-T applied magnetic field to orient the spinel CoFe2O4 crystalline. The morphology was studied by scanning electron and transmission electron microscope. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show that samples performed by the magnetic field annealing procedure have a 〈110〉 texture along the nanowire axis, while those annealed without applied magnetic field show a nonoriented polycrystalline phase of spinel type structure. Vibration sample magnetometer (VSM) test shows the difference between CoFe2O4 nanowire arrays samples annealed with or without applied magnetic field. This difference shows the magneto-crystalline anisotropy with the easy magnetization direction along the nanowire axis, and is caused by the resultant effect of the easy magnetization direction distribution of the crystalline.