Weak Ferromagnetism Research Articles

Surface weak ferromagnet coupling induced giant room-temperature spontaneous exchange bias in antiferromagnet Fe3BO6 polycrystals.

The spontaneous exchange bias effect (SEB) has wide application prospects in information storage technologies. In this study, nanoscale raw materials were used to fabricate antiferromagnetic Fe3BO6 polycrystals. The obtained Fe3BO6 exhibited a large SEB effect, where the value of the spontaneous exchange bias field at room temperature was as large as ∼4234 Oe. The room-temperature training effect, temperature-dependence, and maximum field-dependence of the HSEB were investigated. We propose that this giant SEB originates from the exchange-coupling interactions between the weak ferromagnetic surface state and the bulk antiferromagnetic state. The theoretical analysis results were further verified by comparing the magnetic properties of the Fe3BO6 with relatively low crystallinity. The results of this investigation will help find promising candidate materials for devices based on the SEB effect.

Clustered ultra-small iron oxide nanoparticles as potential T1/T2 dual–modal magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents and application to tumor model

Many studies have been conducted on the use of ultra-small iron oxide nanoparticles (USIONs) (d < 3 nm) as potential positive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-contrast agents (CAs); however, there is dearth of research on clustered USIONs. In this study, nearly monodispersed clustered USIONs were synthesized using a simple two-step one-pot polyol method. First, USIONs (d = 2.7 nm) were synthesized, and clustered USIONs (d = 27.9 nm) were subsequently synthesized through multiple cross-linking of USIONs with poly(acrylic acid-co-maleic acid) (PAAMA) polymers with many -COOH groups. The clustered PAAMA-USIONs exhibited very weak ferromagnetism owing to the magnetic interaction between superparamagnetic USIONs; this was evidenced by their appreciable r1= 3.9 s‒1mM‒1and high r2/r1ratio of 14.6. Their ability to function as a dual-modal T1/T2MRI-CA in T1-weighted MRI was demonstrated when they simultaneously exhibited positive and negative contrasts in T1-weighted MRI of tumor model mice after intravenous injection. They displayed positive contrasts at the kidneys, bladder, heart, and aorta and negative contrasts at the liver and tumor.&#xD.

From LaCrO3 towards LaCr0.2Mn0.2Fe0.2Al0.2Ga0.2O3 high-entropy ceramic compound: Crystal structure, dielectric and magnetic properties

A group of five perovskite-type ceramic systems was designed by solid-state reaction, increasing the configurational entropy, ΔSconf at the B-site, going from low and medium to finally reaching a high-entropy system. Chemical elements, crystal structure, and microstructure characterization, as well as the dielectric and magnetic properties, are discussed from the single phase LaCrO3 towards a continuous equiatomic multicomponent LaCr0.2Mn0.2Fe0.2Al0.2Ga0.2O3 ceramic compounds. Through a combination of structural analysis and XPS spectroscopy study, it is found that not only the configurational entropy ∆Sconf term, but also the enthalpy of mixing, ΔHmix through of arising of the coexistence of mixed valence state, oxygen vacancies, and local octahedral distortions lead to the stabilization of the single phase in equimolar multicomponent perovskite systems. The arising of Cr3+/Cr6+ and Mn3+/Mn2+ mixed valence state drives the AC electric conductivity through the presence of two kinds of charge carriers, small polarons and oxygen vacancies in LCM, LCMF, LCMFA, and LCMFAG ceramic compounds. The occurrence of these two classes of charge carriers progressively increases the AC electric conductivity at room and high temperatures for each ceramic compound, being higher for the LCMFA entropy compound, making it a potential candidate for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. As expected, the increases of compositional random cations display rich magnetic properties arising from competing magnetic interactions driven by the sublattice of Cr, Mn, and Fe magnetic ions. The resulting ΔSconf increase leads to a Griffith-like phase. The results also show that not only the ferromagnetic clusters of the LaMnO3 (AxFz) sublattice but also the weak ferromagnetism associated with the LaCrO3 (GxFz), and LaFeO3 (GxFz) sublattices play a predominant role in the formation of the Griffiths-like phase in the low, medium and high-entropy ceramic systems.

Cr-doped CdS and ZnS nano/microstructures with ferromagnetic properties

Transition-metal-doped cadmium sulfide (CdS) and zinc sulfide (ZnS) dilute magnetic semiconductors have attracted widespread research interests due to their potential spin electron applications. Most theoretical and experimental analyses have focused on studying their optical properties. In response to the widespread application of dilute magnetic semiconductor nanomaterials in electronic components, semiconductor chips, integrated circuits and other fields, dilute magnetic semiconductors with room-temperature ferromagnetic chromium (Cr)-doped cadmium sulfide and zinc sulfide nanostructures were synthesized using the solvothermal method. According to X-ray diffraction analysis, the products of chromium-doped cadmium sulfide and zinc sulfide were clearly determined to be a hexagonal phase. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the morphologies of cadmium sulfide and zinc sulfide with different contents of chromium were mainly composed of nanorods and a micro-floral shape. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements indicated that the synthesized products were composed of chromium, cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn) and sulfur (S). Vibrating-sample magnetometry showed that undoped cadmium sulfide exhibited weak ferromagnetism at room temperature, and undoped zinc sulfide exhibited diamagnetism, while chromium-doped cadmium sulfide and zinc sulfide had strong ferromagnetism. The saturation magnetization M s of chromium-doped cadmium sulfide (chromium = 4.21%) was about 9.524 × 10−3 emu/g; the coercivity H c was about 98.327 Oe. The saturation magnetization M s of chromium-doped zinc sulfide (chromium = 7.67%) was about 8.502 × 10−3 emu/g; the coercivity H c was about 96.237 Oe. The ferromagnetism of chromium-doped cadmium sulfide and zinc sulfide was attributed to the double-exchange mechanism.

Influence of Mg+2 on the structure, microstructure, and magnetic interactions of zinc ferrite nanoparticles synthesized via co-precipitation route

Evolution of the structural, morphological and magnetic properties of Zn1-xMgxFe2O4 (X = 0.00, 0.10 and 0.20) nanoparticles are discussed in detail and relation between cation disorder and magnetic interactions are prospected. The synthesized samples sintered at 500 °C temperature under examination display cubic crystal structure possesses Fd-3m as space group. The average crystallite size and lattice parameter shows variation as revealed from scherrer equation with the addition of Mg dopant at zinc site. Rietveld refinement presented single phase formation. Raman spectroscopy was utilized to convey different Raman modes and their associated vibrations. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to survey the morphological attributes. Magnetization studies reveal weak ferromagnetism at low temperature (5 K) due to cation disorder for all samples. Zero field cooled and field cooled curves from magnetization vs temperature reveal the blocking temperature and its dependence on cation disorder and particle size. These results provide information about the possible applications of zinc ferrite nanoparticles in magnetic sensors, nanomedicine, optoelectronics, and memory devices.

Structural, magnetic, optical and electronic properties of Gd2NiIrO6

Polycrystalline Gd2NiIrO6 double perovskite compound was synthesized by the solid-state route. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction pattern revealed that the compound was crystallized in a monoclinic structure with P21/n space group (IUCr. No. 14). The scanning electron micrograph showed that the grains were spherical and well distributed with an average grain size of around 1 μm. The temperature-dependent magnetic measurements showed magnetic transitions at 165 K and 149 K in the low-temperature region. Below the transition temperatures, weak ferromagnetism was evidenced by field-dependent magnetization measurements. Exchange bias effects were observed which were driven by Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya interactions in the compound. The UV–visible measurement evidenced that the compound had an optical band gap of 1.8 eV. The electronic structure calculations using the DFT + U method revealed that Gd2NiIrO6 compound exhibited a bandgap only when on-site correlations for the d-states were included, and the calculation showed that the AF1 configuration was energetically favourable.

On the Emergence of Ferromagnetism in LaCoO3 Ultrathin Films

AbstractIt is well known that the properties of a crystal evolve as it increases in size from a single atomic plane to that of the bulk. Such size‐dependent transitions can stem from many different origins and depend on minute changes to crystal bonding and composition. A model example is that of LaCoO3, which is non‐magnetic in the bulk but can display ferromagnetism at the nanoscale. Here, the evolution of structure‐property relationships is studied in the LaCoO3−δ/SrTiO3 (001) system as the thickness of LaCoO3−δ is increased from a single plane to 10 unit cells. In situ synchrotron X‐ray studies are performed during and post‐deposition to probe changes in the interactions between structure, stoichiometry, and magnetic behavior. Structural quantification indicates that the oxygen octahedral rotation pattern evolves with thickness, due to inherent differences in crystal symmetry between the film and substrate. The change in rotation modifies the required energy barrier for the spin state transition via the Co–O bond length and Co–O–Co bond angle, affecting the appearance of ferromagnetism. Our results highlight the contributions of high spin Co2+ and/or high spin Co3+ to respective weak and robust ferromagnetism and the evolution of properties with size in ultrathin LaCoO3−δ heterostructures.

Heterometallic [FexM3–x(μ3-O)] cluster-based metal–organic frameworks for magnetic properties

In the paper, we construct a class of heterometallic [FexM3–x(μ3-O)] cluster-based MOFs (PCN-250 (Fe2M), M = Fe3, Fe2Co, Fe2Ni and Fe2Co0.5Ni0.5) through modularization by solvothermal method. The structures of PCN-250 (Fe2M) contain heterometallic [FexM3–x(μ3-O)] cluster by carboxylate bridges and further connected with 3,3 ’, 5,5′ − azobenzene tetracarboxylic acid to form 3D networks. Moreover, magnetic investigations indicate that PCN-250 (Fe3) and PCN-250 (Fe2Co) possess antiferromagnetic behavior, while PCN-250 (Fe2Ni) and PCN-250 (Fe2Co0.5Ni0.5) display canted antiferromagnetic behavior with weak ferromagnetism.

Stoichiometry‐Induced Ferromagnetism in Altermagnetic Candidate MnTe

AbstractThe field of spintronics has seen a surge of interest in altermagnetism due to novel predictions and many possible applications. MnTe is a leading altermagnetic candidate that is of significant interest across spintronics due to its layered antiferromagnetic structure, high Neel temperature (TN ≈ 310 K) and semiconducting properties. The results on molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown MnTe/InP(111) films are presented. Here, it is found that the electronic and magnetic properties are driven by the natural stoichiometry of MnTe. Electronic transport and in situ angle‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy show the films are natively metallic with the Fermi level in the valence band and the band structure is in good agreement with first‐principles calculations for altermagnetic spin‐splitting. Neutron diffraction confirms that the film is antiferromagnetic with planar anisotropy and polarized neutron reflectometry indicates weak ferromagnetism, which is linked to a slight Mn‐richness that is intrinsic to the MBE‐grown samples. When combined with the anomalous Hall effect, this work shows that the electronic response is strongly affected by the ferromagnetic moment. Altogether, this highlights potential mechanisms for controlling altermagnetic ordering for diverse spintronic applications.

Interplay of altermagnetism and weak ferromagnetism in two-dimensional RuF4

Gaining growing attention in spintronics is a class of magnets displaying zero net magnetization and spin-split electronic bands called altermagnets. Here, by combining density functional theory and symmetry analysis, we show that RuF4 monolayer is a two-dimensional (2D) d-wave altermagnet. Spin–orbit coupling leads to pronounced spin splitting of the electronic bands at the Γ point by ∼100meV and turns the RuF4 into a weak ferromagnet due to nontrivial spin-momentum locking that cants the Ru magnetic moments. The net magnetic moment scales linearly with the spin–orbit coupling strength. Using group theory we derive an effective spin Hamiltonian capturing the spin-splitting and spin-momentum locking of the electronic bands. Disentanglement of the altermagnetic and spin–orbit coupling induced spin splitting uncovers to which extent the altermagnetic properties are affected by the spin–orbit coupling. Our results move the spotlight to the nontrivial spin-momentum locking and weak ferromagnetism in the 2D altermagnets relevant for novel venues in this emerging field of material science research.

Structural, dielectric and magnetic properties of MFeNbO6 materials (M=Ti, Zr, Hf)

We study the structural, magnetic and electronic properties of MFeNbO6 materials (where A = Ti, Zr or Hf). TiFeNbO6 crystallises with the disordered rutile structure with the P42/mnm space group. Increasing the ionic radii of the M4+ cation going from Ti4+ (0.605 Å) to Zr4+ (0.72 Å) and Hf4+ (0.710 Å) results in a buckling of the octahedral chains with these materials crystallising with the disordered α-PbO2 structure (space group Pbcn). In contrast, with previous reports for TiFeNbO6 we find no evidence of relaxor ferroelectric behaviour with all three materials instead exhibiting Maxwell-Wagner-like relaxation. Impedance spectroscopy confirms semiconductor behaviour. Magnetically, all three materials can be described by infinite irregular antiferromagnetic S = 5/2 chains with weak ferromagnetism below 10 K. These chains have random directions of propagation between nearest Fe–Fe neighbours consistent with the disordered nature of these materials. We observed a negative imaginary part of the ac susceptibility related to the defect magnetic topology.

Giant Magneto-Optical Effect in van der Waals Room-Temperature Ferromagnet Fe3GaTe2

Abstract The discovery of ferromagnetic two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdWs) materials provides an opportunity to explore intriguing physics and to develop innovative spin electronic devices. However, the main challenge for practical applications of vdWs ferromagnetic crystals lies in the weak intrinsic ferromagnetism and small perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) above room temperature. Here, we report the intrinsic vdWs ferromagnetic crystal Fe3GaTe2, synthesized by the self-flux method, exhibiting a Curie temperature (T C) of 370 K, a high saturation magnetization of 33.47 emu/g, and a large PMA energy density of approximately 4.17 × 105 J/m3. Furthermore, the magneto-optical effect is systematically investigated in Fe3GaTe2. The doubly degenerate E 2g (Γ) mode reverses the helicity of incident photons, indicating the existence of pseudoangular-momentum (PAM) and chirality. Meanwhile, the non-degenerate non-chiral A 1g(Γ) phonon exhibits a significant magneto-Raman effect under an external out-of-plane magnetic field. These results lay the groundwork for studying phonon chirality and magneto-optical phenomena in 2D magnetic materials, providing the feasibility for further fundamental research and applications in spintronic devices.

The Interplay of Electronic Configuration and Anion Ordering on the Magnetic Behavior of Hydroxyfluoride Diaspores.

We report a new nickel hydroxyfluoride diaspore Ni(OH)F prepared using hydrothermal synthesis from NiCl2·6H2O and NaF. Magnetic characterization reveals that, contrary to other reported transition-metal hydroxyfluoride diaspores, Ni(OH)F displays weak ferromagnetism below the magnetic ordering temperature. To understand this difference, neutron diffraction is used to determine the long-range magnetic structure. The magnetic structure is found to be distinct from those reported for other hydroxyfluoride diaspores and shows an antiferromagnetic spin ordering in which ferromagnetic canting is allowed by symmetry. Furthermore, neutron powder diffraction on a deuterated sample, Ni(OD)F, reveals partial anion ordering that is distinctive to what has previously been reported for Co(OH)F and Fe(OH)F. Density functional theory calculations show that OH/F ordering can have a directing influence on the lowest energy magnetic ground state. Our results point toward a subtle interplay between the sign of magnetic exchange interactions, the electronic configuration, and anion disordering.

Sintering-induced multiferroicity in 0.93(Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3–0.07BaTiO3 ceramics

Two 0.93(Na[Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text]TiO3–0.07BaTiO3 ceramics were sintered for 2[Formula: see text]h and 3 h, respectively, by a conventional solid reaction method. The ceramic sintered for 2[Formula: see text]h showed a normal ferroelectric hysteresis loop and paramagnetic behavior, while the ceramic sintered for 3[Formula: see text]h showed a pinched ferroelectric hysteresis loop, weak ferromagnetism, and enhanced magnetoelectric coupling. The origins of the sintering time-related multiferroic properties are discussed in detail. The work offers a new way to induce multiferroicity in ceramics by tuning sintering time.

Microwave spin-pumping from an antiferromagnet FeBO3

Canted antiferromagnets offer great potential in fundamental research and for use in applications due to their unique properties. The presence of the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) leads to the existence of a weak ferromagnetic moment at room temperature. We study both theoretically and experimentally microwave spin pumping by a quasi-ferromagnetic mode from a canted easy plane antiferromagnet with weak ferromagnetism FeBO3. The conversion of a microwave signal into a constant voltage is realized using the inverse spin Hall effect in an iron borate/heavy metal heterostructure. We use an additional bias magnetic field to selectively tune the resonance frequency of such a microwave detector over a wide range up to 43.5 GHz with a potential sensitivity near 2.5 µV W−1. We confirm the pure spin current nature by changing the polarity of the detected via inverse spin Hall effect voltage by switching the direction of the bias magnetic field. We believe that our results will be useful for the development of highly tunable, portable and sensitive microwave antiferromagnet-based functional devices.

The multiferroic properties of Pb3Fe2F12

Fluoride ferroelectrics containing 3d transition metal ions are potential multiferroic candidates due to their ionic bonds rather than the covalent bonds in oxide ferroelectrics. In this work, Pb3Fe2F12 ceramics are prepared by solid-state reaction. Rietveld refinement of the x-ray diffraction pattern suggests that Pb3Fe2F12 adopts a crystalline structure similar to that of Pb5Fe3F19, containing FeF6 octahedra chains and isolated FeF6 octahedra. The deficiency of Pb content leads to the mixed valence states of Fe ions and strong distortion among the octahedra, thus, complicating exchange interactions between Fe ions. The antiferromagnetic transition temperature TN1 is observed at 160 K, which is significantly higher than that of stoichiometric Pb5Fe3F19. Various magnetic anomalies are observed at low temperatures due to the onset of different antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between Fe ions of different strengths with TN2 (∼45 K), TN3 (∼37 K), and TN4 (∼10 K). Weak ferromagnetism can be observed below TN2, and significant exchange bias is observed below TN4. Dielectric peaks, together with a magnetic field tunable pyroelectric current peak, are observed at around TN1, suggesting the multiferroic nature and magnetoelectric coupling in Pb3Fe2F12.

Tunable magnetoelectronic properties in Bi3+ substituted YCrO3

A detailed structural, magnetic as well as dielectric dynamics study is carried out to investigate the influence of Bi3+ on YCrO3. All the samples crystalize in orthorhombic structure with Pnma symmetry and the grains are mostly stretched with Bi. A coexisting tunable fraction of both antiferromagnetic (AFM) and weak ferromagnetic (WFM) phases is acquired by the system down to Low-T. An abnormal negative magnetization in zero field is correlated to the competition among AFM and WFM phases. Maximum magnetization decreases while the coercivity first increases and then decreases with Bi is correlated to the competing effect between the local deformation and Cr–O–Cr exchange interaction. The magnetodielectric coupling with improved permittivity might be associated with the 6s2 lone pair electron of Bi3+. Furthermore, ac-conductivity increases with a decrease in activation energy (0.27–0.11 eV), is explained in the framework of structural model and charge carrier hopping between Cr3+ and Cr4+ ions.

Theoretical Study of the Magnetic and Optical Properties of Ion-Doped LiMPO4 (M = Fe, Ni, Co, Mn).

Using a microscopic model and Green's function theory, we calculated the magnetization and band-gap energy in ion-doped LiMPO4 (LMPO), where M = Fe, Ni, Co, Mn. Ion doping, such as with Nb, Ti, or Al ions at the Li site, induces weak ferromagnetism in LiFePO4. Substituting Li with ions of a smaller radius, such as Nb, Ti, or Al, creates compressive strain, resulting in increased exchange interaction constants and a decreased band-gap energy, Eg, in the doped material. Notably, Nb ion doping at the Fe site leads to a more pronounced decrease in Eg compared to doping at the Li site, potentially enhancing conductivity. Similar trends in Eg reduction are observed across other LMPO4 compounds. Conversely, substituting ions with a larger ionic radius than Fe, such as Zn and Cd, causes an increase in Eg.

Weak ferromagnetism and magnetoelectric coupling in van der Waals antiferromagnet MnPSe3

With the discovery of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism in van der Waals (vdW) materials, there has been significant interest in 2D multiferroics. Herein, we report the occurrence of weak ferromagnetism and magnetoelectricity in vdW antiferromagnet MnPSe3 single crystals. Our results demonstrate that MnPSe3 undergoes an antiferromagnetic transition at the Néel temperature TN = 70 K with weak ferromagnetism along the [1–10] direction. Detailed magnetoelectric (ME) data show that MnPSe3 exhibits a linear ME tensor αij with nine nonzero components. Additionally, a magnetically induced electric polarization as large as 98.5 μC/m2 is observed along the [110] direction, with a ME coefficient of 13.5 ps/m at 10 K for a magnetic field of 9 T applied along the [110] direction. Importantly, we discuss our experiments based on symmetry and microscopic analysis, thereby suggesting that the spin-dependent p-d hybridization mechanism plays an important role in the emergence of magnetic-field-induced ferroelectricity. Hence, our findings provide insights for exploring the ME coupling in vdW materials.

Synthesis of Lanthanum Ferrite Perovskite Nanoparticles: An Alternative Bio‐Approach Versus a Conventional Chemical Approach

AbstractHerein, we report the synthesis of perovskite‐type oxide LaFeO3 nanoparticles via chemical as well as bio approaches. Azadirachta indica (neem) extract's impact on the LaFeO3 nanoparticles has been studied to identify potential substitutes for detrimental chemical synthesis. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) examinations of synthesized perovskites by both routes reveal the cubic LaFeO3 phase and identical crystallographic patterns. The optical bandgap energies (Eg) for the chemical and bio‐synthesized variants are determined to be 2.05 and 2.03 eV, respectively using UV–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis affirms the occurrence of two significant vibrational bands at 558 and 438 cm−1, which strengthen the formation of perovskite LaFeO3. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) investigation indicates the chemical variant has larger blockier‐shaped particles, whereas the bio‐synthesized sample has a micro‐spherical morphology with sharp edges. The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigations substantiate the chemical state of La‐3d, Fe‐2p, and O‐1s present in both variants, which comprises the 3 : 3 perovskite type. Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM) analysis elucidates weak ferromagnetism at room temperature in both of the synthesized samples. The novelty of this work concentrates on divulging that green synthesized LaFeO3 perovskites are more environmentally benign and affordable than chemically synthesized ones.