Room Temperature Ferromagnetism in Nanocrystalline Ce[sub 1−x]Fe[sub x]O[sub 2

Abstract

We report room temperature ferromagnetism in Fe‐doped CeO2 powders prepared by chemical coprecipitation method. Analysis of Ce1−xFexO2 using XRD reveals single phase formation for the samples with x≤0.05. EDX results confirm the near stoichiometry of the samples with a nominal variation mainly due to the random alloying of the dopants. FE‐SEM micrographs clearly illustrate the nanocrystalline nature of the samples with a uniform particle size distribution. M‐H curve of undoped CeO2 and Ce0.97Fe0.03O2 recorded at room temperature using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) indicate a paramagnetic like behavior. However, room temperature ferromagnetism is clearly observed in Ce0.95Fe0.05O2, which is expected to originate from a combination effect of oxygen vacancies and transition metal doping. The experimental results provide direct evidence for the role of oxygen vacancies in mediating the ferromagnetic ordering.