M. Tamisari

Exchange bias and interface structure in the Ni/NiO nanogranular system

The exchange bias (EB) effect has been studied in Ni/NiO nanogranular samples obtained by annealing in H2, at different temperatures (200 ? Tann ? 300??C), NiO powder previously ball-milled for 20?h. Typically, the samples consist of Ni nanoparticles (mean size of 10?18?nm) embedded in a nanocrystalline NiO matrix. With increasing Tann, the Ni fraction varies from 4% up to 69%. The exchange field depends on the Ni amount, being maximum (~600?Oe), at T = 5?K, in the sample with 15% Ni. In all the samples, the EB effect vanishes at T = 200?K. The structural features of the samples have been investigated by x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and extended x-ray absorption fine structure and the low-temperature magneto-thermal behaviour has been thoroughly analyzed. The results show the existence of a structurally and magnetically disordered NiO component, which plays the key role in the EB mechanism.

Coexistence of exchange bias effect and giant magnetoresistance in a Ni/NiO nanogranular sample

We have studied the coexistence of exchange bias (EB) effect and spin-dependent magnetotransport in a Ni/NiO nanogranular sample by measuring the magnetization (M) and the magnetoresistance (MR) versus the magnetic field (H) in the 5-250 K temperature (T) range, both in zero-field-cooling (ZFC) and field-cooling (FC) conditions. The sample consisted of Ni nanocrystallites (mean size ∼13 nm) dispersed in a NiO matrix; the Ni volume fraction was ∼33%, above the percolation threshold for electrical conductivity, as revealed by the low resistivity (order of 10−3 Ωm) and by its growth with increasing T. The EB and magnetotransport phenomena appear strictly intertwined: the FC M(H) and MR(H) loops exhibit a similar horizontal shift, corresponding to an exchange field of ∼460 Oe at T = 5 K, which decreases with increasing T and disappears at ∼200 K. Both the EB and the magnetotransport properties have been explained, considering the presence of a structurally disordered component of the NiO matrix around the Ni ...

Magnetotransport properties of a percolating network of magnetite crystals embedded in a glass-ceramic matrix

Electrical resistance, magnetization, and magnetoresistance have been measured as functions of temperature from 50 to 300 K on three ferromagnetic glass ceramics containing different magnetite crystals by preparing conditions and crystal morphology. Magnetite crystals form a percolating network for electrons with weak links at crystal-crystal contact points. All samples exhibit a broadened Verwey transition, peaked at temperatures lower than measured in bulk stoichiometric magnetite. The negative magnetoresistance ratio increases in absolute value with sample cooling from RT down to the Verwey temperature and decreases on further cooling. This behavior indicates that electron transfer between magnetite crystals is achieved through spin-dependent and spin-independent channels acting in parallel. Magnetic correlation states for spins at contact points between magnetite crystals are studied by plotting the magnetoresistance as a function of reduced magnetization. The transition from activated hopping to vari...

Synthesis of nanogranular Fe3O4/biomimetic hydroxyapatite for potential applications in nanomedicine: structural and magnetic characterization

We realized the synthesis of a novel nanogranular system consisting of magnetite nanoparticles embedded in biomimetic carbonate hydroxyapatite (HA), for prospective uses in bone tissue engineering. An original two-step method was implemented: in the first step, magnetite nanoparticles are prepared by refluxing an aqueous solution of Fe(SO4) and Fe2(SO4)3 in an excess of tetrabutilammonium hydroxide acting as surfactant; then, the magnetite nanoparticles are coated with a Ca(OH)2 layer, to induce the growth of HA directly on their surface, by reaction of Ca(OH)2 with HPO42−. Two nanogranular samples were collected with magnetite content ~0.8 and ~4 wt%. The magnetite nanoparticles and the composite material were investigated by x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. These analyses provided information on the structure of the nanoparticles (mean size ~6 nm) and revealed the presence of surface hydroxyl groups, which promoted the subsequent growth of the HA phase, featuring a nanocrystalline lamellar structure. The magnetic study, by a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer, has shown that both the as-prepared and the HA-coated magnetite nanoparticles are superparamagnetic at T = 300 K, but the magnetization relaxation process is dominated by dipolar magnetic interactions of comparable strength. In the three samples, a collective frozen magnetic regime is established below T ~ 20 K. These results indicate that the magnetite nanoparticles tend to form agglomerates in the as-prepared state, which are not substantially altered by the HA growth, coherently with the creation of electrostatic hydrogen bonds among the surface hydroxyl groups.

Study of the magnetic microstructure of Ni/NiO nanogranular samples above the electric percolation threshold by magnetoresistance measurements

Magnetoresistance measurements have been exploited to gain information on the magnetic microstructure of two Ni/NiO nanogranular materials consisting of Ni nanocrystallites (mean size of the order of 10 nm) embedded in a NiO matrix and differing in the amount of metallic Ni, ~33 and ~61 vol%. The overall conductance of both samples is metallic in character, indicating that the Ni content is above the percolation threshold for electric conductivity; the electric resistivity is two orders of magnitude smaller in the sample with higher Ni fraction (10(-5) Ωm against 10(-3) Ωm). An isotropic, spin-dependent magnetoresistance has been measured in the sample with lower Ni content, whereas both isotropic and anisotropic magnetoresistance phenomena coexist in the other material. This study, associated with magnetization loop measurements and the comparison with the exchange bias effect, allows one to conclude that in the sample with lower Ni content neither the physical percolation of the Ni nanocrystallites nor the magnetic percolation (i.e., formation of a homogeneous ferromagnetic network) are achieved; in the other sample physical percolation is reached while magnetic percolation is still absent. In both behaviors, a key role is played by the NiO matrix, which brings about a magnetic nanocrystallite/matrix interface exchange energy term and rules both the direct exchange interaction among Ni nanocrystallites and the magnetotransport properties of these nanogranular materials.

Role of the antiferromagnetic pinning layer on spin wave properties in IrMn/NiFe based spin-valves

Brillouin light scattering (BLS) was exploited to study the spin wave properties of spin-valve (SV) type samples basically consisting of two 5 nm-thick NiFe layers (separated by a Cu spacer of 5 nm), differently biased through the interface exchange coupling with an antiferromagnetic IrMn layer. Three samples were investigated: a reference SV sample, without IrMn (reference); one sample with an IrMn underlayer (10 nm thick) coupled to the bottom NiFe film; one sample with IrMn underlayer and overlayer of different thickness (10 nm and 6 nm), coupled to the bottom and top NiFe film, respectively. The exchange coupling with the IrMn, causing the insurgence of the exchange bias effect, allowed the relative orientation of the NiFe magnetization vectors to be controlled by an external magnetic field, as assessed through hysteresis loop measurements by magneto-optic magnetometry. Thus, BLS spectra were acquired by sweeping the magnetic field so as to encompass both the parallel and antiparallel alignment of the NiFe layers. The BLS results, well reproduced by the presented theoretical model, clearly revealed the combined effects on the spin dynamic properties of the dipolar interaction between the two NiFe films and of the interface IrMn/NiFe exchange coupling.

Changing the magnetism of amorphous FeSiB by mechanical milling.

We have studied the magnetic properties of a sample obtained by high-energy mechanical milling from a ferromagnetic FeSiB amorphous ribbon. The milled material mainly consists of a Fe-based amorphous matrix embedding a minor fraction of α-Fe nanocrystallites (∼23%), and magnetization dynamics effects characterize the magnetic behavior. In particular, a magnetic transition occurs at T ∼ 50 K, from a low temperature disordered collective frozen state, similar to a spin-cluster-glass, to a high temperature regime where ferromagnetism predominates. The phenomenon has been ultimately ascribed to the local modification of the interatomic distance distribution in the amorphous matrix, induced by milling.