Coercivity Research Articles

A new magneto-plastic coupling model for residual stress description in ferromagnetic materials

The paper addresses the topic of residual stress in magnetic behaviour of the ferromagnetic materials. Carbon steel parts are submitted to several stress loads and the magnetic behaviour is collected at several operating points. After stress load, the hysteresis data are measured and illustrate a complex behaviour in hysteresis morphology where a big belly is observed near coercive field and a short neck in maximum induction zone. In order to describe the B-H curves, a modified Arctangent model is proposed. A comparison between experiments and model signals show a very good accuracy.

High stability of the ferroelectricity against hydrogen gas in (Al,Sc)N thin films

The changes in the crystal structure and ferroelectric properties of (Al0.8Sc0.2)N films sandwiched between Pt and TiN electrodes were investigated by subjecting the films to post-heat-treatment at various temperatures up to 600 °C in both H2 and Ar gases. The remanent polarization underwent slight change, whereas the coercive field strengthened by approximately 9% as a result of the post-heat-treatment up to 600 °C irrespective of the atmosphere and electrode material. This change is much smaller than that reported for ferroelectric (Hf,Zr)O2 films as well as for Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 and SrBi2Ta2O9 films for a wide temperature range from 400 to 600 °C and is almost independent of the Pt and TiN electrodes. The high stability of (Al,Sc)N films with both Pt and TiN electrodes under H2 atmosphere is highly promising to stabilize the properties through the device fabrication process.

Magnetic properties of ferromagnetic nanoparticles of Fe x GeTe2 (x = 3, 5) directly exfoliated and dispersed in pure water

Fe x GeTe2 (x = 3, 5) are two-dimensional ferromagnetic (FM) materials that have gained significant attention from researchers due to their relatively high Curie temperature and tunability. However, the methods for preparing FM nanoparticles (FNPs) and large-area Fe x GeTe2 films are still in the early stages. Here, we studied the magnetic properties of Fe x GeTe2 FNPs exfoliated via wet exfoliation in pure water. The coercive field of Fe3GeTe2 FNPs increases significantly, up to 60 times, while that of Fe5GeTe2 only slightly increases from that of bulk crystals. Further investigation related to the dimension of nanoparticles and the Henkel plot analysis reveals that the variation in their coercive field stems from the material’s thickness-dependent coercive field and the type of term that governs the interaction between single-domain nanoparticles. Our work demonstrates a facile method for preparing FNPs using van der Waals FM materials and tuning their magnetic properties.

Comparative study on the stability of ferroelectric polarization of HfZrO2 and AlScN thin films over the depolarization effect

This study investigates the stability of the (Hf,Zr)O2 (HZO) and AlScN thin films against the depolarization effect. In order to adversely interfere with the polarization screening of ferroelectric (FE) film and induce the depolarization effect, an Al2O3 film was inserted between the TiN bottom electrode and the FE film. Subsequently, to minimize charge injection through Al2O3 films, the double remanent polarization–voltage (2Pr–V) curve was measured employing voltage pulses with 1 μs-length. As the thickness of the Al2O3 film increased, the charge injection through the Al2O3 film decreased, leading to a decrease in the slope of the 2Pr–V curve. The magnitude of the depolarization field applied to the FE film was determined by simulating the 2Pr–V curve using an equivalent circuit model. Subsequently, the proportion of reversed domains during the delay period due to the depolarization effect was measured. It was revealed that HZO films exhibited vulnerability to the depolarization effect, with 16% of domains being reversed. On the other hand, AlScN films demonstrated superior stability, with polarization loss of less than 1%. Ultimately, it was revealed that AlScN films demonstrated superior stability against the depolarization effect compared to HZO films due to their higher coercive field and more uniform polarization distribution across the film area.

Defects and oxygen impurities in ferroelectric wurtzite Al1−xScxN alloys

III-nitrides and related alloys are widely used for optoelectronics and as acoustic resonators. Ferroelectric wurtzite nitrides are of particular interest because of their potential for direct integration with Si and wide bandgap semiconductors and unique polarization switching characteristics; such interest has taken off since the first report of ferroelectric Al1−xScxN alloys. However, the coercive fields needed to switch polarization are on the order of MV/cm, which are 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than oxide perovskite ferroelectrics. Atomic-scale point defects are known to impact the dielectric properties, including breakdown fields and leakage currents, as well as ferroelectric switching. However, very little is known about the native defects and impurities in Al1−xScxN and their effect on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties. In this study, we use first-principles calculations to determine the formation energetics of native defects and unintentional oxygen incorporation and their effects on the polarization switching barriers in Al1−xScxN alloys. We find that nitrogen vacancies are the dominant native defects, and unintentional oxygen incorporation on the nitrogen site is present in high concentrations. They introduce multiple mid-gap states that can lead to premature dielectric breakdown and increased temperature-activated leakage currents in ferroelectrics. We also find that nitrogen vacancy and substitutional oxygen reduce the switching barrier in Al1−xScxN at low Sc compositions. The effect is minimal or even negative (increases barrier) at higher Sc compositions. Unintentional defects are generally considered to adversely affect ferroelectric properties, but our findings reveal that controlled introduction of point defects by tuning synthesis conditions can instead benefit polarization switching in ferroelectric Al1−xScxN at certain compositions.

Effect of rare earth substitution on magnetic properties of strontium hexaferrite prepared by Pechini method

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the impact of substituting rare earth elements on the magnetic properties of strontium hexaferrite. The samples, synthesized by the sol-gel Pechini method, followed the formula Sr1-xRexFe12O19 with Re = Gd, Sm, Nd, Pr, and La, for 0.025 ≤ x ≤ 0.100. The findings revealed that Re substitution promotes a considerable increment of the coercive field. However, the magnetic yield dropped with increasing the Re content. Therefore, the higher coercivity field, largest magnetization and maximum energy product (BHmax) were reached for samples with x = 0.025. This tendency was consistent across all rare earth-substituted samples although the hexaferrite substituted with samarium and praseodymium showed the strongest hard-magnetic properties. This behavior has been attributed to a reduction of the interaction field due to the emergence of a monodomain structure, and to the limited solubility of rare earth elements within the structure of strontium hexaferrite.

Assessing the nexus of Generative AI adoption, ethical considerations and organizational performance

Numerous enterprises employ Generative AI (GenAI) for a plethora of business operations, which can enhance organizational effectiveness. The adoption might be driven by multiple factors influencing the business landscape. Additionally, numerous ethical considerations could impact the deployment of GenAI. This unique study investigated how organizations adopt GenAI and its effects on their performance. Further, this research utilized institutional theory and ethical guidelines for AI design to develop a research framework examining how organizations adopt GenAI and its impact on their performance. A survey of 384 managers from information technology (IT) and information technology-enabled services (ITeS) companies was conducted. Data analysis was done using PLS-SEM to examine and validate the proposed model. The study outcome reveals that institutional pressures, i.e., coercive, normative and mimetic forces, influence the use of GenAI in organizations. It was also found that fairness, accountability, transparency, accuracy and autonomy influence the use of GenAI. Also, the results divulge that the use of GenAI influences organizational performance and is moderated by organizational innovativeness. This study provides insights to developers of GenAI, senior management of companies, the government and IT policymakers by highlighting the institutional pressures and ethical principles influencing the use of GenAI.

Effects of bubble-induced strain on the magnetic properties of van der Waals ferromagnet CrBr3

Two-dimensional materials provide with ability to control their properties with a number of methods. One of such methods is using strain and compression. In this work, we investigated the influence of locally induced strain through bubbles in thin ferromagnetic CrBr3 using low-temperature magnetic force microscopy. As a result, domain pinning and higher coercive and saturation fields were observed in the bubble. In addition, nontrivial spin arrangements are allowed to take place in a non-homogeneously strained area, leading to different responses to the external magnetic field in comparison to a non-strained region. Finally, Raman spectroscopy and magneto-photoluminescence spectroscopy were performed to show alternation of the magnetic properties of the sample under mechanical deformation.

Increasing Exploitation Durability of Two-Layer Cast Mill Rolls and Assessment of the Applicability of the XGBoost Machine Learning Method to Manage Their Quality.

The increase in exploitation durability of two-layer cast rolls with the working layer made of high chromium cast iron allows one to significantly improve the quality of rolled metal as well as to increase the economic efficiency of the manufacturing process. However, it is severely hindered due to the massiveness of castings, the impossibility of both evaluating mechanical properties along the depth of the working layer, and providing the structural uniformity of the working surface and the decrease in stresses. In our research, aiming to enhance the exploitation durability of sheet rolls, it is recommended to achieve structural uniformity by CuMg alloying, which increases the concentration of copper up to 2.78 wt.% in certain zones and, owing to the accelerated austenite decomposition at a high temperature during the cool-down of the castings, led to the reduction in excessive strength and the level of heat stresses in the castings. We propose the regimes of cyclic heat treatments which, due to the decomposition of retained austenite and the fragmentation of structure, control the level of hardness to reduce and uniformize the level of stresses along the length of a barrel. A further improvement in the predictions of exploitation durability using XGboost method, which was performed based on the chemical composition of the working layer of high-chromium cast iron and heat treatment parameters, requires taking into account the factors characterizing exploitation conditions of specific rolling mills and the transformations of structural-phase state of the surface obtained by a non-destructive control method. As the controlled parameter, the hardness measured on the roll's surface is recommended, while the gradient change in mechanical properties along the working layer depth can be feasibly analyzed by a magnetic method of coercive force measuring.

Strong microwave absorption of Fe-deficient SrFe9.4Cu0.8Sn0.5O19-d with enhanced permittivity and ferromagnetic resonance by high annealing temperature

The oxygen environments of Fe+3-δ ions determine the magnetic anisotropy of M-type ferrites. The high annealing temperature increases the oxygen content and decreases the lattice strain in M-type SrFe9.4Cu0.8Sn0.5O19-d ferrites. The anisotropic field and the coercive field decrease with the increasing annealing temperature. Annealed at 1400 °C, a ferromagnetic resonance is observed at the frequency above 9.5 GHz, with the real part having a peak and the imaginary part of the permeability having a high plateau over a wide frequency range. It enables the microwave energy' dissipation by the magnetic loss. Furthermore, the extra oxygen ions ease up the dipole polarizations' rotation and significantly increase the dielectric permittivity. At thin thickness of 1.3 mm, the effective absorption bandwidth (RL≤−10 dB) of SrFe9.4Cu0.8Sn0.5O19-d annealed at 1400 °C is 7.1+ GHz from 10.9 to 18+ GHz. SrFe9.4Cu0.6Sn0.6O19-d annealed at 1400 °C has the microwave absorption bandwidth of 8.8 GHz from 9.2 to 18+ GHz at 1.6 mm. Both are very promising microwave absorbing materials.

Research on the Current Situation and Countermeasures of Patriotism Education for High School Students - Taking Zigong City as an Example

The promulgation and implementation of the Patriotism Education Law of the People's Republic of China has provided a more perfect legal guarantee for the strengthening of high school students' patriotism education by the coercive force of national regulations. This paper researches the patriotism education of high school students under the background of the Patriotism Education Law of the People's Republic of China through literature research method and questionnaire survey method, and analyzes the patriotism education of high school students, which has the problems of insufficient understanding of the content of patriotism education, the effect of patriotism education method to be improved and the evaluation mechanism of patriotism education is not sound, and puts forward a proposal of subject teaching in response to these problems. In the light of these problems, it also proposes that the content of patriotism education should be carried through the teaching of academic disciplines, that the method of patriotism education should take root in practice, and that the evaluation mechanism of patriotism education should be improved.

Innovation in Methods for Incorporating Magnetite into Biocellulose for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Effectiveness Applications

Materials with magnetic properties are essential in various electric sector technologies. However, the generation of pollutants is of concern, increasing the interest in developing new sustainable, low-cost magnetic materials. These materials have notable applications in protecting against electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can lead to health problems as well as environmental pollution. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to produce a sustainable magnetic polymer using different methods of magnetite incorporation, investigate its magnetic properties, and determine its EMI shielding potential. The magnetic BC materials were obtained via in situ and ex situ magnetic incorporation in processed BC membranes and BC hydrogels. Analyses were carried out using XRD, FTIR, SEM, and VSM, and tests were performed to assess electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE). The results revealed that the magnetite incorporation method influences the final size of nanoparticles, the arrangement among BC fibers, and the magnetic properties. Materials produced from processed BC had a higher percentage of incorporated magnetite and greater magnetic saturation, whereas those containing nanoparticles with a larger diameter had a stronger coercive field. Although samples did not have high EMI SE, magnetite increased the wave reflection and absorption of the material. This biomaterial can drive important innovations in the energy sector, particularly in efficient and ecological electrical infrastructure.

Tuning optical, magnetic, and electrical parameters of CuFe2O4 nanoparticles incorporated with GO and ZnO using a facile synthesis

Nano-ferrites, metal oxides, and carbon-based nanomaterials have been used frequently to enhance optical and magnetic prospects for latent applications. Copper ferrite/Graphene Oxide and Zinc Oxide (CuFe2O4/GO/ZnO) ternary nanocomposite synthesized by hydrothermal route showed dramatically good outcomes as the band gap energy value of synthesized nanocomposite approaches to 2.4 eV. Furthermore, the light absorbance of CuFe2O4 increases by adding ZnO and GO. The experimental data revealed the face-centered cubic structure (FCC) of pure spinal ferrite (CuFe2O4) nanoparticles even after adding ZnO and GO. The 2θ peak observed at 31.70° with (220) hkl planes indicates the successful addition of ZnO nanoparticles in CuFe2O4/GO nanocomposite. XRD graph, the absence of characteristic peaks of GO revealed the intercalation of CuFe2O4 nanoparticles with GO layers. In SEM images, agglomeration among CuFe2O4 nanoparticles is observed due to the magnetic interaction of nano-crystallite with a high surface-to-volume (S/V) ratio. VSM can be used to determine the magnetic properties of as-synthesized samples at moderate temperatures under 0–0.5 and ± 5 tesla. In CuFe2O4/GO/ZnO ternary nanocomposite, the saturation magnetization value reduces from 2.071 to 1.365 emu/g due to the addition of ZnO nanoparticles. The loops were narrowed showing a decrease in the coercive field with the addition of ZnO nanoparticles in CuFe2O4/GO ternary nanocomposite material. Moreover, the study of electrical properties of pure CuFe2O4 and CuFe2O4/GO/ZnO ternary nanocomposite revealed that the values of dielectric constant and tangent loss decrease at high frequencies owing to surface charge polarization and intrinsic dipole interactions. The study of the electrical properties of both pure CuFe2O4 and the CuFe2O4/GO/ZnO ternary nanocomposite reveals that the dielectric constant (ε’) and tangent loss (tanδ) exhibit a decreasing trend as the frequency increases. This behavior is attributed to surface charge polarization and intrinsic dipole interactions. At lower frequencies, both samples display elevated values for these properties, which stabilize as the frequency increases beyond 2 MHz. Notably, high AC conductivity is observed in both samples, attributed to increased capacitance and resistance.

Coercive Fields Exceeding 30 T in the Mixed-Valence Single-Molecule Magnet (CpiPr5)2Ho2I3.

Mixed-valence dilanthanide complexes of the type (CpiPr5)2Ln2I3 (CpiPr5 = pentaisopropylcyclopentadienyl; Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy) featuring a direct Ln-Ln σ-bonding interaction have been shown to exhibit well-isolated high-spin ground states and, in the case of the Tb and Dy variants, a strong axial magnetic anisotropy that gives rise to a large magnetic coercivity. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of two new mixed-valence dilanthanide compounds in this series, (CpiPr5)2Ln2I3 (1-Ln; Ln = Ho, Er). Both compounds feature a Ln-Ln bonding interaction, the first such interaction in any molecular compounds of Ho or Er. Like the Tb and Dy congeners, both complexes exhibit high-spin ground states arising from strong spin-spin coupling between the lanthanide 4f electrons and a single σ-type lanthanide-lanthanide bonding electron. Beyond these similarities, however, the magnetic properties of the two compounds diverge. In particular, 1-Er does not exhibit observable magnetic blocking or slow magnetic relaxation, while 1-Ho exhibits magnetic blocking below 28 K, which is the highest temperature among Ho-based single-molecule magnets, and a spin reversal barrier of 556(4) cm-1. Additionally, variable-field magnetization data collected for 1-Ho reveal a coercive field of greater than 32 T below 8 K, more than 6-fold higher than observed for the bulk magnets SmCo5 and Nd2Fe14B, and the highest coercive field reported to date for any single-molecule magnet or molecule-based magnetic material. Multiconfigurational calculations, supported by far-infrared magnetospectroscopy data, reveal that the stark differences in magnetic properties of 1-Ho and 1-Er arise from differences in the local magnetic anisotropy of the lanthanide centers.

Structural, Mössbauer and magnetic study of (Mn0.2Co0.2Ni0.2Cu0.2X0.2)Fe2O4 (X=Fe, Mg) spinel high-entropy oxides fabricated via reactive flash sintering

Herein, it is reported the concomitant synthesis and sintering in a single step of (Mn0.2Co0.2Ni0.2Cu0.2X0.2)Fe2O4 (X=Fe, Mg), a spinel-structured high-entropy oxides, by the reactive flash sintering technique. A single phase, identified with a spinel crystal structure Fd3̅m, was obtained in just 30 min at a furnace temperature of 1173 K. The structural and magnetic properties of the prepared compounds were assessed by the combined use of various techniques, aiming to understand the correlations between functional properties and crystal structure. Characteristic features of the Mössbauer spectra prove the existence of different nonequivalent Fe environments . Both compositions display soft magnetic behavior, characterized by low coercive fields and saturation magnetization reached at low fields. Thus, the substitution of nonmagnetic Mg2+ for magnetic Fe2+ results in a decrease in magnetic parameters due to the weakening of the super-exchange interaction among the magnetic moments.

Performance enhancement in spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory through in situ cap layer optimization

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), a key component of spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory, are typically fabricated using two main processes: plasma etching and in situ protective cap layer deposition. It has been found that while the etching process predominantly affects MTJ performance, the cap layer process can further enhance electrical and magnetic properties. In this study, we achieved performance improvements in MTJs by optimizing the cap layer deposition process through various experimental methods, such as modifying the gas mixtures used in the deposition process and incorporating a novel post-plasma treatment. During the deposition of the silicon nitride (SiNx) cap layer, N-rich dissociated compounds can induce passivation of the MTJ layer, leading to additional loss of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and coercive field (Hc). To circumvent this challenge, we prioritized modifying the gas ratio in the SiNx deposition process. Additionally, hydrogen introduced during SiNx deposition can penetrate the MTJ pillars and degrade their properties. To mitigate this, we developed a novel post-nitrogen plasma treatment in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber, which effectively desorbed the excess hydrogen from the MTJ film stack. As a result of these optimized processes, the TMR loss, compared to a blanket wafer, was reduced from 25% to 8%, and Hc increased by up to 33% for the same stack, achieving significant performance enhancements.

Exploring Sintered Fe-(Ce, Nd)-B with High Degree of Cerium Substitution as Potential Gap Magnet.

The more effective use of readily available Ce in FeNdB sintered magnets is an important step towards more resource-efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective permanent magnets. These magnets have the potential to bridge the gap between high-performance FeNdB and hard ferrite magnets. However, for higher degrees of cerium substitution (>25%), the magnetic properties deteriorate due to the lower intrinsic magnetic properties of Fe14Ce2B and the formation of the Laves phase Fe2Ce in the grain boundaries. In this paper, sintered magnets with the composition Fe70.9-(CexNd1-x)18.8-B5.8-M4.5 (M = Co, Ti, Al, Ga, and Cu; with Ti, Al, Ga, and Cu less than 2.0 at% in total and Cobal; x = 0.5 and 0.75) were fabricated and analyzed. It was possible to obtain coercive fields for higher degrees of Ce substitution, which previous commercially available magnets have only shown for significantly lower degrees of Ce substitution. For x = 0.5, coercivity, remanence, and maximum energy product of µ0Hc = 1.29 T (Hc = 1026 kA/m), Jr = 1.02 T, and (BH)max = 176.5 kJ/m3 were achieved at room temperature for x = 0.75 µ0Hc = 0.72 T (Hc = 573 kA/m), Jr = 0.80 T, and (BH)max = 114.5 kJ/m3, respectively.

The investigation of piezoelectric features of lead-free barium titanate ceramic materials at different initial temperatures in the tetragonal phase using molecular dynamics simulation

This study used molecular dynamics simulation to investigate how temperature changes the piezoelectric properties of crystal barium titanate in its tetragonal form. Consistent with the results, the oxygen diffusion coefficient in the simulated sample increased to 0.35 Å2/ns (expansion mode) and 0.56 Å2/ns (contraction mode) by increasing the temperature from 300 to 400 K. Moreover, the piezoelectric coefficient of samples decreased from 267.22 to 162.56 in an expansion mode and from 189.96 to 145.21 in a contraction mode by increasing temperature. On the other hand, increasing the temperature decreased saturation polarization (from 0.372 to 0.290 C/m2), coercivity field (from 0.259 to 0.155 MV/m), and residual polarization (from 0.154 to 0.084). This decrease may be due to approaching the critical temperature and changing the structure from tetragonal to cubic. Finally, the results show that the dielectric coefficients were found by raising the temperatures to 400 K (expansion mode) and getting 73, 70, 68, and 64. For the contraction mode, they were 70, 66, 55, and 63.

Strain-insensitive ferromagnetic SrRuO3 thin films with ferrimagnetic CoFe2O4 buffer layer

Flexible electronics, such as wearable devices and biosensors, require materials that maintain their properties under mechanical stress. A recent study addresses this by focusing on SrRuO3 (SRO) thin films, which typically suffer reduced coercivity under strain. Herein, we introduce a novel approach by using CoFe2O4 (CFO) as a buffer layer in SRO/CFO/F-mica heterostructures to address this issue. When subjected to a strain of up to ±0.553 %, these heterostructures displayed a mere 11 % variation in saturation magnetic moment and coercive field, significantly outperforming SRO/BaTiO3 configurations, which showed a 95 % reduction in coercivity at only −0.3 % strain. This result demonstrates the effectiveness of the CFO layer in stabilizing the magnetic properties of SRO films against external mechanical deformations. These findings mark a significant advancement in the development of mechanically robust thin films for complex oxide heterostructures in flexible device applications.

0.98(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3–0.02(Bi0.5Na0.5)(Zr0.85Sn0.15)O3 Single Crystals Grown by the Seed-Free Solid-State Crystal Growth Method and Their Characterization

(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3-based single crystals are of interest as high-performance lead-free piezoelectric materials, but conventional crystal growth methods have some disadvantages such as the requirement for expensive Pt crucibles and difficulty in controlling the composition of the crystals. Recently, (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3-based single crystals have been grown by the seed-free solid-state crystal growth method, which can avoid these problems. In the present work, 0.98(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3–0.02(Bi0.5Na0.5)(Zr0.85Sn0.15)O3 single crystals were grown by the seed-free solid-state crystal growth method. Sintering aids of 0.15 mol% Li2CO3 and 0.15 mol% Bi2O3 were added to promote single crystal growth. Pellets were sintered at 1150 °C for 15–50 h. Single crystals started to appear from 20 h. The single crystals grown for 50 h were studied in detail. Single crystal microstructure was studied by scanning electron microscopy of the as-grown surface and cross-section of the sample and revealed porosity in the crystals. Electron probe microanalysis indicated a slight reduction in K and Na content of a single crystal as compared to the nominal composition. X-ray diffraction shows that the single crystals contain mixed orthorhombic and tetragonal phases at room temperature. Raman scattering and impedance spectroscopy at different temperatures observed rhombohedral–orthorhombic, orthorhombic–tetragonal and tetragonal–cubic phase transitions. Polarization–electric field (P–E) hysteresis loops show that the single crystal is a normal ferroelectric material with a remanent polarization (Pr) of 18.5 μC/cm2 and a coercive electrical field (Ec) of 10.7 kV/cm. A single crystal presents d33 = 362 pC/N as measured by a d33 meter. Such a single crystal with a large d33 and high Curie temperature (~370 °C) can be a promising candidate for piezoelectric devices.