Magnetic structure and interaction in (Sb, Co) co-doped ZnO thin films

Abstract

The magnetic behaviour of (Co, Sb) co-doped ZnO thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition is investigated. The irreversibility (ZFC–FC bifurcation) in low field (H = 100 Oe) magnetization and small hysteresis below 300 K are similar in samples with or without Sb co-doping. Both the phenomena originate from the presence of blocked supermoments in the samples. Incorporation of Sb only increases the saturation magnetization and coercivity. The quantitative increase in moment due to Sb co-doping suggests a transfer of electrons from Co ions to Sb-related acceptor complexes. This is supported by a decrease in the number of electronic transitions from Co d electrons to the conduction band seen in optical transmission spectroscopy when Sb is added. The high field susceptibility data show the existence of supermoments with antiferromagnetic interaction between them. We find that the value of the effective antiferromagnetic molecular field constant decreases with increasing Co concentration, revealing that the supermoments are bound magnetic polarons around intrinsic donors, rather than coming from Co precipitates. True ferromagnetism (overlapping polarons) can emerge either with larger intrinsic donors, or with acceptors with shallower levels, than those created by Sb co-doping. Our results suggest that Sb-related acceptor states may be unstable towards accepting electrons from deep d levels of Co ions.