Biswajit Dalal

Magnetic properties of mixed spinel BaTiO3-NiFe2O4 composites

Solid solution of nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) and barium titanate (BaTiO3), (100-x)BaTiO3–(x) NiFe2O4 has been prepared by solid state reaction. Compressive strain is developed in NiFe2O4 due to mutual structural interaction across the interface of NiFe2O4 and BaTiO3 phases. Quantitative analysis of X-ray diffraction and X-ray photo electron spectrum suggest mixed spinel structure of NiFe2O4. A systematic study of composition dependence of composite indicates BaTiO3 causes a random distribution of Fe and Ni cations among octahedral and tetrahedral sites during non-equilibrium growth of NiFe2O4. The degree of inversion decreases monotonically from 0.97 to 0.75 with increase of BaTiO3 content. Temperature dependence of magnetization has been analyzed by four sublattice model to describe complex magnetic exchange interactions in mixed spinel phase. Curie temperature and saturation magnetization decrease with increase of BaTiO3 concentration. Enhancement of strain and larger occupancy of Ni2+ at tetrahedral site...

Temperature induced magnetization reversal in SrRuO3

Temperature driven magnetization reversal under zero field cooled (ZFC) process in SrRuO3 is observed at very low magnetic field (50 Oe). Magnetization reversal does not exist above 1000 Oe down to 2 K. The compensation temperature decreases and the peak in ZFC shifts towards lower temperature with the increase of magnetic field. Magnetic switching behavior is observed below Curie temperature. The normal and inverse magnetocaloric effect at low magnetic field limit coexist in a single compound. Random magnetic state plays a crucial role in ZFC magnetization reversal of SrRuO3.

Large magnetic exchange anisotropy at a heterointerface composed of nanostructured BiFeO3 and NiO

Magnetic interfaces created by the formation of a nanocomposite of ferromagnetic BiFeO3 nanoparticles of mean size 11 nm and antiferromagnetic network-like nanostructured NiO are studied. The effective radius of the ferromagnetic region is smaller than the actual nanoparticle size, thus confirming the involvement of a large fraction of surface spins in the interfacial magnetism. The exchange coupling between the BiFeO3 nanoparticles and the network-like nanostructured NiO leads to an interfacial blocking phase having an average blocking temperature of about 80 K. The temperature dependent saturation magnetization follows the Bloch law at high (150–300 K) temperature and exponential behaviour in intermediate (25–150 K) and low (5–25 K) temperature regimes. Exchange bias appears below the irreversible temperature of about 300 K, well below the Neel temperature of NiO. The composition dependences of the exchange bias field (HEB) and the coercivity (HC) reveal maximum values of HEB = 1550 Oe and HC = 1730 Oe at 5 K and a cooling field of 50 kOe for a BiFeO3 : NiO :: 50 : 50 concentration ratio. The exchange bias field decreases exponentially with increase of the temperature. Strong interfacial coupling due to uncompensated surface spins leads to a remarkable enhancement of the magnetic anisotropy at the BiFeO3/NiO interface.

Magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Ba and Ti co-doped SrRuO3

Temperature evolution of magnetic properties in Ba and Ti doped SrRuO3 has been investigated to observe the effects of larger ionic radius Ba at Sr site and isovalent nonmagnetic impurity Ti at Ru site. Ionic radius mismatch and different electronic configuration in comparison with Ru modify Sr(Ba)-O and Ru(Ti)-O bond lengths and Ru-O-Ru bond angle. The apical and basal Ru-O-Ru bond angles vary significantly with Ti doping. Ferromagnetic Curie temperature decreases from 161 K to 149 K monotonically with Ba (10%) and Ti (10%) substitutions at Sr and Ru sites. The zero field cooled (ZFC) magnetization reveals a prominent peak which shifts towards lower temperature with application of magnetic field. The substitution of tetravalent Ti with localized 3d0 orbitals for Ru with more delocalized 4d4 orbitals leads to a broad peak in ZFC magnetization. A spontaneous ZFC magnetization becomes negative below 160 K for all the compositions. The occurrence of both normal and inverse magnetocaloric effects in Ba and Ti...

Effect of Gd and Cr substitution on the structural, electronic and magnetic phases of SrRuO3: a case study of doping and chemical phase separation

We explore the crystal structure, electrical resistivity and magnetic behavior of the compositional series (SrRuO3)[Formula: see text] (GdCrO3) x (where [Formula: see text]), which resides between orthorhombic ferromagnetic (FM) metal SrRuO3 ([Formula: see text] K) and orthorhombic antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulator GdCrO3 ([Formula: see text] K). Crystal structure analysis reveals that complete solid solution exists only up to [Formula: see text], above which chemical phase separation of two/three phases occurs, and persists up to [Formula: see text]. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement also corroborates the existence of [Formula: see text] for the intermediate composition [Formula: see text], which reinforces the astonishing scheelite-type GdCrO4 formation (at ambient pressure) for [Formula: see text] compositions. Electrical resistivity measurements affirm the temperature driven metal to insulator (M-I) transition for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] samples. Low temperature insulating state in these samples is interpreted by electron-electron interaction of weak disordered systems. Precise analysis of temperature dependent resistivity for [Formula: see text] samples (which have insulating ground state) dictate that the transport phenomenon is mainly associated with Arrhenius-type charge conduction, Motts variable range hopping, short-range and long-range Coulomb interaction mediated hopping processes, due to the high degree of randomness. Interruption of magnetic Ru-O-Ru interaction by Ru-O-Cr and Cr-O-Cr interactions lowers the FM transition temperature (T C), and thereby introduces Griffiths phase in phase separated samples. Furthermore, we believe that a sharp rise in magnetization at low temperature for [Formula: see text] samples is due to the formation of AFM GdCrO4 phase. Prominent thermal hysteresis in temperature dependent magnetization curves for [Formula: see text], and appearance of spin-reorientation transition for [Formula: see text] are the distinct indications for transformation into canted AFM GdCrO3 oxide at higher x. The effective magnetic moment ([Formula: see text]) continuously increases with the incorporation of higher moment elements (Gd and Cr); while coercive field (H C) exhibits an abrupt variation as a function of x at the onset of phase separation.

Evolution of magnetic properties and exchange interactions in Ru doped YbCrO3.

Magnetic properties of YbCr1-x Ru x O3 as a function of temperature and magnetic field have been investigated to explore the intriguing magnetic phenomena in rare-earth orthochromites. A quantitative analysis of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the mixed valence state (Yb(3+) and Yb(2+)) of Yb ions for the highest doped sample. Field-cooled magnetization reveals a broad peak around 75 K and then becomes zero at about 20-24 K, due to the antiparallel coupling between Cr(3+) and Yb(3+) moments. An increase of the Ru(4+) ion concentration leads to a slight increase of compensation temperature T comp from 20 to 24 K, but the Néel temperature remains constant. A larger value of the magnetic moment of Yb ions gives rise to negative magnetization at low temperature. An external magnetic field significantly modifies the temperature dependent magnetization. Simulation of temperature dependent magnetization data, below T N, based on the three (two) magnetic sub-lattice model predicts stronger intra-sublattice exchange interaction than that of inter-sublattice. Thermal hysteresis and Arrot plots suggest first order magnetic phase transition. Random substitution of Ru(4+) ion reduces the magnetic relaxation time. Weak ferromagnetic component in canted antiferromagnetic system and negative internal magnetic field cause zero-field-cooled exchange bias effect. Large magnetocrystalline anisotropy associated with Ru creates high coercivity in the Ru doped sample. A maximum value of magnetocaloric effect is found around the antiferromagnetic ordering of Yb(3+) ions. Antiferromagnetic transition at about 120 K and temperature induced magnetization reversal lead to normal and inverse magnetocaloric effects in the same material.

Electrical conductivity spectra of Sn doped BaTi0.95Zr0.05O3

The alternating current (ac) conductivity spectra of Sn doped BaTi0.95Zr0.05O3 prepared by solid state reaction have been studied in the temperature range of 373–473 K. Mixed valency of Sn atoms and the oxygen vacancy controls electrical transport process. The ac conductivity follows Jonscher type power law as a function of frequency. Derived dc conductivity and hopping frequency follow Arrhenius type temperature dependency and have same activation energy. Almost temperature independent nature of frequency exponent indicates that the electrical conduction in Zr and Sn co-doped BaTiO3 relaxor is quantum mechanical electron tunneling. The conductivity spectra are perfectly scaled using the scaling parameters as dc conductivity and hopping frequency.