Synthesis and magnetic characterizations of [formula omitted] solid solution with [formula omitted] 0.016 as a new low – dimensional dilute magnetic - semiconductor material

Abstract

In this study, TlInS2 layered semiconducting compound in which In3+ ions were partially substituted by ∼ 1.6 %Fe3+ transition metal ions was prepared by means the Bridgman – Stockbarger technique. The crystal structure of TlIn1-xFexS2 with x= 0.016 in combination with magnetization dynamics and magnetic resonance measurements have been studied. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrum of Fe – substituted TlInS2 compound confirms the presence of all the constituent elements in stoichiometric proportions. We concluded that the magnetic properties of TlIn1-xFexS2 were induced by substituting trivalent iron atoms in the place of In3+ ion sites located at the center of In3+S42- structural units of TlInS2 crystal. EPR study reveals that the local site symmetry around Fe3+ center is orthorhombic. The orthorhombic local symmetry can be considered to originate crystal field arising from Tl ligands in the trigonal cavities surrounding Fe3+ transition metal ion. The angular dependence resonance lines show that the crystal lattice contain two structurally equivalent Fe3+ centers localized at different tetrahedron arrays of crystal structure. The temperature dependences of the magnetization measured in the zero - field cooling (ZFC) and field cooling (FC) regimes in the magnetic field of ∼ 50 Oe is found to correspond to a paramagnetic behavior at low temperatures. It has been founded that Fe moments in the TlInS2 host lattice can be ordered to ferromagnetic – like structure. This conclusion in magnetic behavior of TlIn1-xFexS2 compound is well - justified by the existence of very narrow hysteresis loops in the field dependent magnetization curves. Thus, in this work we propose that Fe – diluted TlInS2 is a new and promising dilute magnetic semiconductor with a large potential for future spintronic applications.