Oxygen vacancy induced by La and Fe into ZnO nanoparticles to modify ferromagnetic ordering

Abstract

We reported long-range ferromagnetic interactions in La doped Zn0.95Fe0.05O nanoparticles that mediated through lattice defects or vacancies. Zn0.92Fe0.05La0.03O (ZFLaO53) nanoparticles were synthesized by a sol–gel process. X-ray fluorescence spectrum of ZFLaO53 detects the weight percentage of Zn, Fe, La and O. X-ray diffraction shows the hexagonal Wurtzite ZnO phase. The Rietveld refinement has been used to calculate the lattice parameters and the position of Zn, Fe, La and O atoms in the Wurtzite unit cell. The average size of ZFLaO53 nanoparticles is 99nm. The agglomeration type product due to OH ions with La results into ZnO nanoparticles than nanorods that found in pure ZnO and Zn0.95Fe0.05O sample. The effect of doping concentration to induce Wurtzite ZnO structure and lattice defects has been analyzed by Raman active vibrational modes. Photoluminescence spectra show an abnormal emission in both UV and visible region, and a blue shift at near band edge is formed with doping. The room temperature magnetic measurement result into weak ferromagnetism but pure ZnO is diamagnetic. However, the temperature dependent magnetic measurement using zero-field and field cooling at dc magnetizing field 500Oe induces long-range ferromagnetic ordering. It results into antiferromagnetic Neel temperature of ZFLaO53 at around 42K. The magnetic hysteresis is also measured at 200, 100, 50 and 10K measurement that indicate enhancement in ferromagnetism at low temperature. Overall, the La doping into Zn0.95Fe0.05O results into enhanced antiferromagnetic interaction as well as lattice defects/vacancies. The role of the oxygen vacancy as the dominant defects in doped ZnO must form Bound magnetic polarons has been described.