Multi-frequency ferromagnetic resonance investigation of nickel nanocubes encapsulated in diamagnetic magnesium oxide matrix

Abstract

Partially aligned nickel nanocubes were grown epitaxially in a diamagnetic magnesium oxide (MgO:Ni) host and studied by a continuous wave ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectroscopy at the X-band (9.5 GHz) from ca. 117 to 458 K and then at room temperature for multiple external magnetic fields/resonant frequencies from 9.5 to 330 GHz. In contrast to conventional magnetic susceptibility studies that provided data on the bulk magnetization, the FMR spectra revealed the presence of three different types of magnetic Ni nanocubes in the sample. Specifically, three different ferromagnetic resonances were observed in the X-band spectra: a line 1 assigned to large nickel nanocubes, a line 2 corresponding to the nanocubes exhibiting saturated magnetization even at ca. 0.3 T field, and a high field line 3 (geff ∼ 6.2) tentatively assigned to small nickel nanocubes likely having their hard magnetization axis aligned along or close to the direction of the external magnetic field. Based on the analysis of FMR data, the latter nanocubes possess an anisotropic internal magnetic field of at least ∼1.0 T in magnitude.