Magnetic study of Mg 0.95Mn 0.05Fe 2O 4 ferrite nanoparticles

Abstract

The magnetic properties of Mg 0.95Mn 0.05Fe 2O 4 ferrite samples with an average particle size of ∼6.0±0.6 nm have been studied using X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, dc magnetization and frequency dependent real χ ′ ( T ) and imaginary χ ″ ( T ) parts of ac susceptibility measurements. A magnetic transition to an ordered state is observed at about 195 K from Mössbauer measurements. The zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) magnetization have been recorded at low field and show the typical behavior of a small particle system. The ZFC curve displays a broad maximum at T mean = 195 ± 5 K , a temperature which depends upon the distribution of particle volumes in the sample. The FC curve was nearly flat below T mean , as compared with monotonically increasing characteristics of non-interacting superparamagnetic systems indicating the existence of strong interactions among the nanoparticles. A frequency-dependent peak observed in χ ′ ( T ) is well described by Vogel–Fulcher law, yielding a relaxation time τ 0 = 5.8 × 1 0 − 12 s and an interaction parameter T 0 = 195 ± 3 K . Such values show the strong interactions and rule out the possibility of spin-glass (SG) features among the nanoparticle system. On the other hand fitting with the Néel–Brown model and the power law yields an unphysical large value of τ 0 (∼6×10 −69 and 1.2×10 −22 s respectively).