G. H. Rao

Structure and magnetic properties of Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles

We report the crystal structure and magnetic properties of the Zn1-xMnxO compounds synthesized by a combustion method. The Zn1-xMnxO compounds with x=0-0.1 crystallize in the wurtzite ZnO structure. The lattice parameters a and c of Zn1-xMnxO increase linearly with the Mn content, indicating that Mn2+ ions substitute for Zn2+ ions. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the average particle radius of Zn0.95Mn0.05O is about 40 nm. From the Curie-Weiss behavior of susceptibility at high temperature, it was found that the Mn-Mn interaction is dominated by antiferromagnetic coupling with effective nearest-neighbor exchange constant J about -32 K and the large negative value of the Curie-Weiss temperature

Ferroelectric transition of Aurivillius compounds Bi5Ti3FeO15 and Bi6Ti3Fe2O18

Single-phase Bi5Ti3FeO15 and Bi6Ti3Fe2O18 ceramics have been synthesized by solid state reaction. The ferroelectric transition of the compounds was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, high-temperature x-ray diffraction, and temperature-dependent dielectric measurements. Two solid-state structural transitions were observed in both compounds, one is the orthorhombic↔tetragonal transition (ferroelectric transition) at 1021 K for Bi5Ti3FeO15 and 973 K for Bi6Ti3Fe2O18, and the other is accompanied by an abrupt lattice expansion of the tetragonal phase at about 1110 K for Bi5Ti3FeO15 and about 1090 K for Bi6Ti3Fe2O18.

Crystal structure and magnetic properties of SmCo5.85Si0.90 compound

The crystal structure and magnetic properties of SmCo7−xSix (x=0.1–0.9) compounds were studied by means of x-ray powder diffraction and magnetic measurements. Rietveld refinement of x-ray powder diffraction pattern shows that the as-cast compound SmCo7−xSix with x=0.9 crystallizes in the TbCu7-type structure with the space group P6/mmm, and the doping element Si has a distinct preference to occupy the 3g site. According to the refinement result, the composition of the compound is derived as SmCo5.85Si0.90. The compound SmCo5.85Si0.90 exhibits ferromagnetic order with the Curie temperature of about 717 K and a saturation moment of about 6.58±0.05 μB/f.u. The SmCo5.85Si0.90 compound shows a strong uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy, and an anomalous increase of magnetization at low temperature is observed in an external field applied perpendicular to the easy direction of magnetization.

Magnetization and Raman scattering studies of (Co,Mn) codoped ZnO nanoparticles

Single-phase (Co,Mn) codoped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by an autocombustion method. Hysteresis loop was observed at 300 K for the sample Zn0.98Co0.01Mn0.01O with a low coercivity (40±5 Oe). Temperature dependence of magnetization rules out the possibility of superparamagnetism or spin-glass behavior. Raman scattering studies manifested that there might exist a defect annihilation arising from the (Co,Mn) codoped into ZnO host lattice. As the ferromagnetism of diluted magnetic semiconductors is closely related to the dopant-defect hybridization, the ferromagnetic ordering was significantly enhanced in the sample Zn0.98Co0.01Mn0.01O by the (Co,Mn) codoping, in comparison to the Zn0.99Co0.01O and Zn0.99Mn0.01O fabricated by the same method.

Magnetic properties of Bi(Fe1−xCrx)O3 synthesized by a combustion method

Single-phase samples of Bi(Fe1−xCrx)O3 with x=0, 0.1, and 0.2 were synthesized by a combustion method. X-ray diffraction reveals that the lattice parameters of Bi(Fe1−xCrx)O3 perovskites decrease linearly with the Cr content, indicating that Cr ions substitute for Fe ions to form a solid solution. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigation shows that Cr ions have the Cr3+ valence state in Bi(Fe1−xCrx)O3. The frequency dependence of dielectric constants was investigated at room temperature. Magnetic measurements show hysteresis loops at both 5 and 300K and the substitution of Cr for Fe enhances the magnetization.

Crystal structure and magnetic properties of SmCo7-xHfx compounds

The crystal structure and magnetic properties of SmCo7-xHfx (x=0.05,0.1,0.2,0.3) compounds were studied by means of x-ray powder diffraction and magnetic measurements. The as-cast compounds SmCo7-xHfx with x=0.1 and 0.2 crystallize in the TbCu7-type structure with the space group P6/mmm. According to the structure refinement, the doping element Hf prefers to occupy the 2e site. The compounds have high Curie temperatures (1080 K for x=0.1, 1075 K for x=0.2), large saturation magnetization (104 emu/g for x=0.1, 102 emu/g for x=0.2 at 5 K), and large magnetic anisotropy fields (244 kOe for x=0.1, 282 kOe for x=0.2 at 5 K) with strong uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy

Effects of inhomogeneous oxygen content in (La,Gd)0.7Ca0.3MnO3+δ perovskites

Magnetoresistance properties of compounds with the same formula La0.7−xGdxCa0.3MnO3+δ (x=0, 0.04) but synthesized by the solid-state reaction method from different starting materials are studied. Nearly stoichiometric compounds are obtained when La(OH)3 is used for sample preparation. However, under the same condition, La2O3 causes considerable oxygen deficiency in resulting samples, characterized by a broad metal–semiconductor transition far below the magnetic transition. Inhomogeneous distribution of the oxygen content in compounds (an inhomogeneity beyond the detection of powder x-ray diffraction) can occur when both La2O3 and La(OH)3 coexist in the starting materials, leading to two metal–semiconductor transitions which are obviously developments of those in compounds prepared respectively from La2O3 and La(OH)3, and one magnetic transition corresponding to the upper resistive transition.

Structural transition and atomic ordering in the non-stoichiometric double perovskite Sr2FexMo2-xO6

The structural transition and atomic ordering of a new series of ordered double perovskite oxides Sr2FexMo2-xO6 (0.8 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 1.5) have been studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Rietveld refinement of the powder diffraction profiles indicates that the crystal structure of the compounds Sr2FexMo2-xO6 changes from a tetragonal I4/mmm lattice to a cubic Fm(3)over-bar-m lattice around x = 1.2 and the lattice parameters decrease slightly as Fe content increases. The degree of ordering in Sr2FexMo2-xO6 exhibits a maximal at x = 0.95 and decreases as x deviates from 0.95

Effects of Cu on crystallographic and magnetic properties of Sm(Co,Cu)7

We have investigated the structural stability and magnetic properties of SMCo7-xCu, compounds with the TbCu7-type structure using x-ray powder diffraction and magnetic measurement. A large solid solution with 0.8 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 4.0 in SMCo7-xCux compounds has been observed. Both the lattice parameters and unit cell volume increase with increasing Cu content. SMCo7-xCux compounds exhibit ferromagnetic order. A strong uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy with an anisotropy field as high as 20 T is obtained with x = 0.8 at 5 K. However, the saturation magnetization and Curie temperature decrease with increasing Cu content.

Crystal structure and magnetic properties of LaCo13−xSix compounds

The crystal structure and magnetic properties of LaCo13-xAlx compounds have been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction and magnetization measurement. X-ray powder diffraction shows that the compounds crystallize in cubic NaZn13-type structure with lattice parameter a=11.345(2) to 11.473(4) Angstrom in the range of x less than or equal to 2.7, and in the tetragonal Ce2Ni17Si9 structure at x=3. Magnetization measurements reveal that both cubic and tetragonal LaCo13-xAlx are ferromagnetic with Curie temperature higher than 840 K, and the magnetic moment per Co atom in LaCo13-xAlx compounds decreases with Al content.