Effect of α-Fe2O3 Phase on the Magnetic Interactions in Nickel Ferrite (NiFe2O4) Nanoparticles.

We report on the effect of α-Fe2O3 phase in the magnetic properties and magnetic interactions in nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4-NFO) nanoparticles synthesized by co-precipitation method. Structural analysis confirms the formation of the cubic inverse spinel phase without any impurities for the NFO sample annealed in air at 650 °C. When the annealing temperature is increased to 750 °C and 850 °C, α-Fe2O3 impurity phase is formed along with the parent NFO phase. Raman spectra recorded at room temperature (RT) confirm the presence of pure NFO phase for the sample annealed at 650 °C, and presence of α-Fe2O3 phase is observed in the samples annealed at 750 °C and 850 °C. Saturation magnetization values at RT for the NFO samples annealed at 650 °C, 750 °C and 850 °C are 34 emu/g, 19 emu/g and 28 emu/g respectively. Zero Field Cooled (ZFC) and Field Cooled (FC) measurement reveals the super-paramagnetic behavior along with competing magnetic interactions in all the samples. For the NFO sample annealed at 750 °C and 850 °C, a drop in ZFC magnetization and a small kink in FC magnetization observed around 245 K indicate the presence of a Morin transition (TM) from the α-Fe2O3 phase. Anisotropy constants were calculated for all the samples using the law of approach to saturation (LAS) method. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy distribution function for the NFO samples annealed at 750 °C and 850 °C exhibit broad peak due to the random distribution of spins associated with different particle size.

Evidence of weak itinerant ferromagnetism and Griffiths like phase in MnFeGe.

Realizing the itinerant type of magnetic exchange in Mn-based alloys is quite unusual because of the weak hybridization between Mn-moments and conduction electrons. However, in the current study, we found MnFeGe to exhibit weak itinerant type magnetic character possibly arising due to the hybridization between Mn, Fe atoms with Ge atoms. Here, we present a comprehensive structural and magnetic study on polycrystalline MnFeGe. Rietveld refinement of the XRD pattern confirms that Mn and Fe atoms randomly (atomic disorder) occupy the2aand2dsites in MnFeGe. From the magnetic measurements, Curie temperature and saturation moment values are found to be 162 K and 1.58µB/f.u.at 2 K, respectively. The relative low values of Curie temperature, saturation magnetic moment, and a large value of Rhodes-Wohlfarth ratio (∼3.4) indicate the weak itinerant ferromagnetic character of the system. The Takahashi spin fluctuation theory analysis further supports the weak itinerant ferromagnetism in MnFeGe. Besides, we also observed Griffiths phase (GP) like behavior above the Curie temperature, which is attributed to the presence of atomic disorder in the system. The presence of GP is further confirmed by the zero spontaneous magnetization. Our findings demonstrate that MnFeGe is one of the very few Mn-based systems with weak itinerant magnetic behavior.