April 6, 2004
Solid solutions of nominal composition [ZnGa$_2$O$_4$]$_{1-x}$[Fe$_3$O$_4$]$_x$, of the semiconducting spinel ZnGa$_2$O$_4$ with the ferrimagnetic spinel Fe$_3$O$_4$ have been prepared with $x$ = 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15. All samples show evidence for long-range magnetic ordering with ferromagnetic hysteresis at low temperatures. Magnetization as a function of field for the $x$ = 0.15 sample is S-shaped at temperatures as high as 200 K. M\"ossbauer spectroscopy on the $x$ = 0.15 sample confirms the presence of Fe$^{3+}$, and spontaneous magnetization at 4.2 K. The magnetic behavior is obtained without greatly affecting the semiconducting properties of the host; diffuse reflectance optical spectroscopy indicates that Fe substitution up to $x$ = 0.15 does not affect the position of the band edge absorption. These promising results motivate the possibility of dilute ferrimagnetic semiconductors which do not require carrier mediation of the magnetic moment.
Similar papers 1
December 20, 2004
Motivated by the recent experimental observation of long range ferromagnetic order at a relatively high temperature of 200K in the Fe-doped ZnGa$_2$O$_4$ semiconducting spinel, we propose a possible mechanism for the observed ferromagnetism in this system. We show, supported by band structure calculations, how a model similar to the double exchange model can be written down for this system and calculate the ground state phase diagram for the two cases where Fe is doped either...
December 12, 2012
The structural and magnetic properties of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles embedded in a non-magnetic ZnO matrix are presented. X-ray diffractograms and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images showed that the resulting samples are composed of crystalline ferrite nanoparticles with average crystallite size <D> = 23.4(0.9) nm, uniformly dispersed within the ZnO matrix. Magnetization data indicated a superparamagnetic-like behavior from room temperature down to T_{M} ~ 20 K, where a ...
August 27, 2008
The ferrimagnetic spinel oxide Zn(x)Fe(3-x)O(4) combines high Curie temperature and spin polarization with tunable electrical and magnetic properties, making it a promising functional material for spintronic devices. We have grown epitaxial thin films with 0<=x<=0.9 on MgO(001) substrates with excellent structural properties both in pure Ar atmosphere and an Ar/O2 mixture by laser molecular beam epitaxy. We find that the electrical conductivity and the saturation magnetizatio...
August 4, 2009
Nowadays ferromagnetism is often found in potential diluted magnetic semiconductor systems. However, many authors argue that the observed ferromagnetism stems from ferromagnetic precipitates or spinodal decomposition rather than from carrier mediated magnetic impurities, as required for a diluted magnetic semiconductor. In the present paper we answer this question for Fe-implanted ZnO single crystals comprehensively. Different implantation fluences and temperatures and post-i...
December 9, 2003
Structural and magnetic properties have been studied for polycrystalline Zn_{1-x}TM_xO, where TM (transition metal ions) = Mn, Fe, and Co. No bulk ferromagnetism was observed for single-phase materials, contrary to the existing theories. Single-phase samples demonstrate paramagnetic Curie-Weiss behavior with antiferromagnetic interactions, similar to other diluted magnetic semiconductors. Non-optimal synthesis conditions lead to formation of second phases that are responsible...
January 11, 2006
We present a density functional study of Fe doped into the tetrahedral and octahedral cation sites of the wide band gap spinel ZnGa$_2$O$_4$. We calculate the electronic structure for different substitutions and discuss the magnetic and transport properties for each case considering different approximations for the exchange-correlation potential. We show that for certain doped cases, significant differences in the predicted behavior are obtained depending on the exchange co...
August 24, 2009
In this paper we show that spinel ferrite nanocrystals (NiFe2O4, and CoFe2O4) can be texturally embedded inside a ZnO matrix by ion implantation and post-annealing. The two kinds of ferrites show different magnetic properties, e.g. coercivity and magnetization. Anomalous Hall effect and positive magnetoresistance have been observed. Our study suggests a ferrimagnet/semiconductor hybrid system for potential applications in magneto-electronics. This hybrid system can be tuned b...
November 2, 2007
This paper reviews the present understanding of the origin of ferromagnetic response of diluted magnetic semiconductors and diluted magnetic oxides as well as in some nominally magnetically undoped materials. It is argued that these systems can be grouped into four classes. To the first belong composite materials in which precipitations of a known ferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic or antiferromagnetic compound account for magnetic characteristics at high temperatures. The second c...
November 2, 2007
The author reviews the present understanding of the hole-mediated ferromagnetism in magnetically doped semiconductors and oxides as well as the origin of high temperature ferromagnetism in materials containing no valence band holes. It is argued that in these systems spinodal decomposition into regions with a large and a small concentration of magnetic component takes place. This self-organized assembling of magnetic nanocrystals can be controlled by co-doping and growth cond...
March 8, 2004
We discuss the properties of semiconducting bulk ZnO when substituted with the magnetic transition metal ions Mn and Co, with substituent fraction ranging from $x$ = 0.02 to $x$ = 0.15. The magnetic properties were measured as a function of magnetic field and temperature and we find no evidence for magnetic ordering in these systems down to $T$ = 2 K. The magnetization can be fit by the sum of a Curie-Weiss term with a Weiss temperature of $\Theta\gg$100 K and a Curie term. W...