Showing papers on "Single domain published in 2017"

Three-dimensional magnetization structures revealed with X-ray vector nanotomography

Abstract: Techniques exist for imaging the magnetization patterns of magnetic thin films and at the surfaces of magnets, but here hard-X-ray tomography is used to image the three-dimensional magnetic structure within a micrometre-sized magnet in the vicinity of Bloch points. Techniques have long existed for imaging the two-dimensional magnetization patterns of thin-film magnets, but the three-dimensional complexities of magnetization structure within the body of a magnet is not so amenable to direct investigation. Claire Donnelly et al. have made substantial progress in lifting this veil by harnessing hard-X-ray tomography to determine the inner magnetic structure of micrometre-sized magnets. The properties of current X-ray sources limit the spatial resolution to about 100 nanometres, but it is anticipated that future instrumental developments could greatly improve on this. In soft ferromagnetic materials, the smoothly varying magnetization leads to the formation of fundamental patterns such as domains, vortices and domain walls1. These have been studied extensively in thin films of thicknesses up to around 200 nanometres, in which the magnetization is accessible with current transmission imaging methods that make use of electrons or soft X-rays. In thicker samples, however, in which the magnetization structure varies throughout the thickness and is intrinsically three dimensional, determining the complex magnetic structure directly still represents a challenge1,3. We have developed hard-X-ray vector nanotomography with which to determine the three-dimensional magnetic configuration at the nanoscale within micrometre-sized samples. We imaged the structure of the magnetization within a soft magnetic pillar of diameter 5 micrometres with a spatial resolution of 100 nanometres and, within the bulk, observed a complex magnetic configuration that consists of vortices and antivortices that form cross-tie walls and vortex walls along intersecting planes. At the intersections of these structures, magnetic singularities—Bloch points—occur. These were predicted more than fifty years ago4 but have so far not been directly observed. Here we image the three-dimensional magnetic structure in the vicinity of the Bloch points, which until now has been accessible only through micromagnetic simulations, and identify two possible magnetization configurations: a circulating magnetization structure5 and a twisted state that appears to correspond to an ‘anti-Bloch point’. Our imaging method enables the nanoscale study of topological magnetic structures6 in systems with sizes of the order of tens of micrometres. Knowledge of internal nanomagnetic textures is critical for understanding macroscopic magnetic properties and for designing bulk magnets for technological applications7.

Resolving the Origin of Pseudo‐Single Domain Magnetic Behavior

Abstract: The term ‘pseudo-single domain’ (PSD) has been used to describe the transitional state in rock magnetism that spans the particle size range between the single domain (SD) and multi-domain (MD) states. The particle size range for the stable SD state in the most commonly occurring terrestrial magnetic mineral, magnetite, is so narrow (~20-75 nm) that it is widely considered that much of the paleomagnetic record of interest is carried by ‘PSD’ rather than stable SD particles. The PSD concept has, thus, become the dominant explanation for the magnetization associated with a major fraction of particles that record paleomagnetic signals throughout geological time. In this paper, we argue that in contrast to the SD and MD states, the term ‘PSD’ does not describe the relevant physical processes, which have been documented extensively using three-dimensional micromagnetic modeling, and by parallel research in materials science and solid-state physics. We also argue that features attributed to ‘PSD’ behavior can be explained by nucleation of a single magnetic vortex immediately above the maximum stable SD transition size. With increasing particle size, multiple vortices, antivortices, and domain walls can nucleate, which produce variable cancellation of magnetic moments and a gradual transition into the MD state. Thus, while the term ‘PSD’ describes a well-known transitional state, it fails to describe adequately the physics of the relevant processes. We recommend that use of this term should be discontinued in favor of “vortex state”, which spans a range of behaviors associated with magnetic vortices.

Structural, morphological and magnetic properties of Eu-doped CoFe 2 O 4 nano-ferrites

Abstract: Europium (Eu) doped spinel cobalt ferrites having composition CoEu x Fe 2−x O 4 where x = 0.00, 0.03, 0.06, 0.09, 0.12 were fabricated by co-precipitation route. In order to observe the phase development of the ferrite samples, thermo-gravimetric analysis was carried out. The synthesized samples were subjected to X-ray diffraction analysis for structural investigation. All the samples were found to constitute face centered cubic (FCC) spinel structure belonging to Fd3m space group. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the formation of nanocrystalline grains with spherical shape. Energy dispersive X-ray spectra confirmed the presence of Co, Eu, Fe and O elements with no existence of any impurity. The magnetic hysteresis curves measured at room temperature exhibited ferrimagnetic behavior with maximum saturation magnetization (Ms) of 65 emu/g and coercivity (Hc) of 966 Oe. The origin of ferrimagnetism in Eu doped cobalt ferrites was discussed in detail with reverence to the allocation of Co 2+ and Fe 3+ ions within the spinel lattice. The overall coercivity was increased (944–966 Oe) and magnetization was decreased (65–46 emu/g) with the substitution of Eu 3+ . The enhancement of former is ascribed to the transition from multi domain to single domain state and reduction in lateral is attributed to the incorporation of nonmagnetic Eu ions for Fe, resulting in weak superexchange interactions.

Stability of equidimensional pseudo-single-domain magnetite over billion-year timescales.

Abstract: Interpretations of paleomagnetic observations assume that naturally occurring magnetic particles can retain their primary magnetic recording over billions of years. The ability to retain a magnetic recording is inferred from laboratory measurements, where heating causes demagnetization on the order of seconds. The theoretical basis for this inference comes from previous models that assume only the existence of small, uniformly magnetized particles, whereas the carriers of paleomagnetic signals in rocks are usually larger, nonuniformly magnetized particles, for which there is no empirically complete, thermally activated model. This study has developed a thermally activated numerical micromagnetic model that can quantitatively determine the energy barriers between stable states in nonuniform magnetic particles on geological timescales. We examine in detail the thermal stability characteristics of equidimensional cuboctahedral magnetite and find that, contrary to previously published theories, such nonuniformly magnetized particles provide greater magnetic stability than their uniformly magnetized counterparts. Hence, nonuniformly magnetized grains, which are commonly the main remanence carrier in meteorites and rocks, can record and retain high-fidelity magnetic recordings over billions of years.

Remanence Plots as a Probe of Spin Disorder in Magnetic Nanoparticles

Abstract: Remanence magnetization plots (e.g., Henkel or δM plots) have been extensively used as a straightforward way to determine the presence and intensity of dipolar and exchange interactions in assemblies of magnetic nanoparticles or single domain grains. Their evaluation is particularly important in functional materials whose performance is strongly affected by the intensity of interparticle interactions, such as patterned recording media and nanostructured permanent magnets, as well as in applications such as hyperthermia and magnetic resonance imaging. Here, we demonstrate that δM plots may be misleading when the nanoparticles do not have a homogeneous internal magnetic configuration. Substantial dips in the δM plots of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles isolated by thick SiO2 shells indicate the presence of demagnetizing interactions, usually identified as dipolar interactions. Our results, however, demonstrate that it is the inhomogeneous spin structure of the nanoparticles, as most clearly evidenced by Mossbauer meas...

Correlation between magnetic properties and cationic distribution of Zn0.85−x Ni x Mg0.05Cu0.1Fe2O4 nano spinel ferrite: effect of Ni doping

Abstract: The correlation among magnetic properties and cationic distribution of Ni-doped Zn0.85−x Ni x Mg0.05Cu0.1Fe2O4 (x = 0.00, 0.17, 0.34, 0.51, 0.85) ferrite, synthesized using sol–gel auto-combustion process is studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), and magnetic measurements. XRD patterns revealed a pure phase spinel ferrite structure for all samples with Scherrer’s grain diameter (D) ranging from 33.55 to 42.07 nm. Experimental, theoretical lattice constant (a exp. , a th.), specific surface area (S), and the distances between cations (Me–Me) (b, c, d, e, f) of the annealed Zn–Ni–Mg–Cu ferrite decrease with the increase in Ni doping. Elemental analysis, particle diameter, and surface morphology were examined by EDAX and SEM. Coercivity (H c) and saturation magnetization (M s) of Zn–Ni–Mg–Cu ferrite ranges between 0.97–167.5 Oe and 47.63–136.93 Am2 kg−1, respectively, signifying the soft character of annealed samples. Magnetic parameters such as H c, magnetocrystalline anisotropy (K 1), remanence (M r), and reduced remanent magnetization (M r/M s) increase up to x = 0.51 and then reduce thereafter with Ni doping. Particle size dependence of H c reveals superparamagnetic, single domain, and multi-domain nature of the studied ferrite. Observed similar trend of M s, Neel/experimental magnetic moment (n B , n B ) with Ni content (x) follows the Neel’s two-sublattice model of ferrimagnetism and is accredited to the cationic distribution and B–B exchange interaction. All these results establish a strong connection between magnetic properties and cationic distribution of Zn0.85−x Ni x Mg0.05Cu0.1Fe2O4 ferrite.

Multisegmented Nanowires: a Step towards the Control of the Domain Wall Configuration.

Abstract: Cylindrical nanowires synthesized by controlled electrodeposition constitute excellent strategic candidates to engineer magnetic domain configurations. In this work, multisegmented CoNi/Ni nanowires are synthesized for tailoring a periodic magnetic structure determined by the balance between magnetocrystalline and magnetostatic energies. High-resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy confirms the segmented growth and the sharp transition between layers. Although both CoNi and Ni segments have similar fcc cubic crystal symmetry, their magnetic configuration is quite different as experimentally revealed by Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) imaging. While the Ni segments are single domain with axial magnetization direction, the CoNi segments present two main configurations: a single vortex state or a complex multivortex magnetic configuration, which is further interpreted with the help of micromagnetic simulations. This original outcome is ascribed to the tight competition between anisotropies. The almost monocrystalline fcc structure of the CoNi segments, as revealed by the electron diffraction patterns, which is atypical for its composition, contributes to balance the magnetocrystalline and shape anisotropies. The results of MFM measurements performed under in-plane magnetic field demonstrate that it is possible to switch from the multivortex configuration to a single vortex configuration with low magnetic fields.

Remanence acquisition efficiency in biogenic and detrital magnetite and recording of geomagnetic paleointensity

Abstract: Relative paleointensity (RPI) variations of Earth's magnetic field are widely used to understand geomagnetic field behavior and to develop age models for sedimentary sequences. RPI estimation is based on a series of assumptions. One key assumption that is rarely considered is that all magnetic particles in the sediment acquired a magnetization in an identical manner. In this paper, we test this assumption for sediments from the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean that record well-documented global RPI variations over the last ∼780 kyr. The magnetization is carried by two stable single domain magnetic components, which we identify as magnetite magnetofossils and titanomagnetite nanoparticle inclusions within larger silicate particles. By analyzing signals carried by the two components separately, we determine for the first time that magnetic nanoparticle inclusions can cause their host particles to record reliable but inefficient sedimentary paleomagnetic signals. The magnetization carried by biogenic magnetite is acquired more efficiently than that carried by the nanoparticle inclusions. Variations in the concentration of both components are modulated climatically so that they record nearly identical RPI signals. In many sediment types, there is no correlation between the concentrations of different magnetic components so that variable remanence acquisition efficiency will complicate RPI recording. Our work demonstrates that detailed assessment of paleomagnetic recording by each constituent magnetic component needs to become a routine part of sedimentary RPI analysis.

Single crystalline superstructured stable single domain magnetite nanoparticles

Abstract: Magnetite nanoparticles exhibit magnetic properties that are size and organization dependent and, for applications that rely on their magnetic state, they usually have to be monodisperse. Forming such particles, however, has remained a challenge. Here, we synthesize 40 nm particles of magnetite in the presence of polyarginine and show that they are composed of 10 nm building blocks, yet diffract like single crystals. We use both bulk magnetic measurements and magnetic induction maps recorded from individual particles using off-axis electron holography to show that each 40 nm particle typically contains a single magnetic domain. The magnetic state is therefore determined primarily by the size of the superstructure and not by the sizes of the constituent sub-units. Our results fundamentally demonstrate the structure – property relationship in a magnetic mesoparticle.

Equilibrium magnetization and magnetization relaxation of multicore magnetic nanoparticles

Abstract: Multi-core magnetic nanoparticles show promising features for biomedical applications. Their magnetic properties, however, are not well-understood to date, so that several ad hoc assumptions are often needed to interpret experimental results. Here, we present a comprehensive computer simulation study on the effect of dipolar interactions and magnetic anisotropy on the equilibrium magnetization and magnetization relaxation dynamics of monodisperse multi-core magnetic nanoparticles in viscous solvents. We include thermal fluctuations of the internal N\'eel relaxation via the stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation coupled to rotational Brownian motion of the cluster. We find that the effective magnetic moment of the cluster is reduced compared to the non--interacting case due to frustrated dipole-dipole interactions. Furthermore, the magnetization relaxation is found to proceed in a two--step fashion with a fast initial decay being followed by a long-time relaxation. For moderate dipolar interaction strengths, the latter can be approximated quite well by an exponential decay with rate given by the sum of the relaxation rates in the immobilized state and the Brownian rotation. These findings can be helpful for a better interpretation of experimental data obtained from magnetization relaxation measurements.

3D Magnetization Vector Inversion of Magnetic Data: Improving and Comparing Methods

Abstract: Magnetization vector inversion is an useful approach to invert for magnetic anomaly in the presence of significant remanent magnetization and self-demagnetization. However, magnetizations are usually obtained in many different directions under the influences of geophysical non-uniqueness. We propose an iteration algorithm of magnetization vector inversion (M-IDI) that one couple of magnetization direction is iteratively computed after the magnetization intensity is recovered from the magnitude magnetic anomaly. And we compare it with previous methods of (1) three orthogonal components inversion of total magnetization vector at Cartesian framework (MMM), (2) intensity, inclination and declination inversion at spherical framework (MID), (3) directly recovering the magnetization inclination and declination (M-IDCG) and (4) estimating the magnetization direction using correlation method (M-IDC) at the sequential inversion frameworks. The synthetic examples indicate that MMM returns multiply magnetization directions and MID results are strongly dependent on initial model and parameter weights. M-IDI computes faster than M-IDC and achieves a constant magnetization direction compared with M-IDCG. Additional priori information constraints can improve the results of MMM, MID and M-IDCG. Obtaining one magnetization direction, M-IDC and M-IDI are suitable for single and isolated anomaly. Finally, M-IDI and M-IDC are used to invert and interpret the magnetic anomaly of the Galinge iron-ore deposit (NW China) and the results are verified by information from drillholes and physical properties measurements of ore and rock samples. Magnetization vector inversion provides a comprehensive way to evaluate and investigate the remanent magnetization and self-demagnetization.

On the limits of coercivity in permanent magnets

Abstract: The maximum coercivity that can be achieved for a given hard magnetic alloy is estimated by computing the energy barrier for the nucleation of a reversed domain in an idealized microstructure without any structural defects and without any soft magnetic secondary phases. For Sm1–zZrz(Fe1–yCoy)12–xTix based alloys, which are considered an alternative to Nd2Fe14B magnets with a lower rare-earth content, the coercive field of a small magnetic cube is reduced to 60% of the anisotropy field at room temperature and to 50% of the anisotropy field at elevated temperature (473 K). This decrease of the coercive field is caused by misorientation, demagnetizing fields, and thermal fluctuations.

Effect of composition and coating on the interparticle interactions and magnetic hardness of MFe2O4 (M = Fe, Co, Zn) nanoparticles

Abstract: Single domain superparamagnetic ferrite nanoparticles with the composition MFe2O4 (M = Fe, Co, Zn) have been prepared by thermal decomposition of metal acetylacetonates in diphenyl ether or dibenzyl ether, using oleic acid in the presence of oleylamine as a stabilizing agent. The Fe, Co and Zn ferrite nanoparticles are monodisperse with diameters of 4.9, 4.4 and 4.7 nm, respectively. The TG and IR results indicate that four or six carboxylate groups per nm2 are bonded at the surface of the particles acting as chelating and/or bridging bidentate ligands depending on the composition. The oleate groups minimize the interparticle interactions in Fe and Zn ferrite samples, while in the Co ferrite sample dipolar interactions produce broad maxima in the ZFC and energy barriers distribution curves. The inversion degree has been estimated from the Raman spectra and the obtained x values have been used to calculate the saturation magnetization and compare them with the experimental MS values. Compared to bulk materials, the magnetization value is higher for the Zn ferrite sample due to its mixed spinel cation distribution. For the Co ferrite sample, and probably for the Fe one, the low value of saturation magnetization seems to be due to the surface disordered layer of canted spins. Compared to non-coated nanoparticles with the same composition and similar size, the oleate groups, covalently bonded to the superficial cations, increase the anisotropy field and decrease the magnetization.

Magnetization reversal in circular vortex dots of small radius.

Abstract: We present a detailed study of the magnetic behavior of Permalloy (Ni80Fe20 alloy) circular nanodots with small radii (30 nm and 70 nm) and different thicknesses (30 nm or 50 nm). Despite the small size of the dots, the measured hysteresis loops manifestly display the features of classical vortex behavior with zero remanence and lobes at high magnetic fields. This is remarkable because the size of the magnetic vortex core is comparable to the dot diameter, as revealed by magnetic force microscopy and micromagnetic simulations. The dot ground states are close to the border of the vortex stability and, depending on the dot size, the magnetization distribution combines attributes of the typical vortex, single domain states or even presents features resembling magnetic skyrmions. An analytical model of the dot magnetization reversal, accounting for the large vortex core size, is developed to explain the observed behavior, providing a rather good agreement with the experimental results. The study extends the understanding of magnetic nanodots beyond the classical vortex concept (where the vortex core spins have a negligible influence on the magnetic behavior) and can therefore be useful for improving emerging spintronic applications, such as spin-torque nano-oscillators. It also delimits the feasibility of producing a well-defined vortex configuration in sub-100 nm dots, enabling the intracellular magneto-mechanical actuation for biomedical applications.

Spin-orbit - torque-induced magnetic domain wall motion in Ta/CoFe nanowires with sloped perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Abstract: In materials with the gradient of magnetic anisotropy, spin-orbit-torque-induced magnetization behaviour has attracted attention because of its intriguing scientific principle and potential application. Most of the magnetization behaviours microscopically originate from magnetic domain wall motion, which can be precisely depicted using the standard cooperative coordinate method (CCM). However, the domain wall motion in materials with the gradient of magnetic anisotropy using the CCM remains lack of investigation. In this paper, by adopting CCM, we established a set of equations to quantitatively depict the spin-orbit-torque-induced motion of domain walls in a Ta/CoFe nanotrack with weak Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction and magnetic anisotropy gradient. The equations were solved numerically, and the solutions are similar to those of a micromagnetic simulation. The results indicate that the enhanced anisotropy along the track acts as a barrier to inhibit the motion of the domain wall. In contrast, the domain wall can be pushed to move in a direction with reduced anisotropy, with the velocity being accelerated by more than twice compared with that for the constant anisotropy case. This substantial velocity manipulation by anisotropy engineering is important in designing novel magnetic information devices with high reading speeds.

Critical current oscillations of elliptical Josephson junctions with single-domain ferromagnetic layers

Abstract: Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic layers are of considerable interest for the development of practical cryogenic memory and superconducting qubits. Such junctions exhibit a ground-state phase shift of π for certain ranges of ferromagnetic layer thicknesses. We present studies of Nb based micron-scale elliptically shaped Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic barriers of Ni81Fe19 or Ni65Fe15Co20. By applying an external magnetic field, the critical current of the junctions is found to follow characteristic Fraunhofer patterns and display sharp switching behavior suggestive of single-domain magnets. The high quality of the Fraunhofer patterns enables us to extract the maximum value of the critical current even when the peak is shifted significantly outside the range of the data due to the magnetic moment of the ferromagnetic layer. The maximum value of the critical current oscillates as a function of the ferromagnetic barrier thickness, indicating transitions in the phase difference across ...

Single nanoparticles magnetization curves by controlled tip magnetization magnetic force microscopy.

Abstract: The development of high spatial resolution and element sensitive magnetic characterization techniques to quantitatively measure magnetic parameters of individual nanoparticles (NPs) and deeply understand and tune their magnetic properties is a hot topic in nanomagnetism. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM), thanks to its high lateral resolution, appears as a promising technique for the magnetic characterization of single nano-sized materials although it is still limited by some drawbacks, especially by the presence of electrostatic artifacts. Recently, these limitations have been overcome by the development of a particular MFM based technique called controlled magnetization - MFM (CM-MFM) allowing, in principle, a quantifiable correlation between the measured magnetic signal and the magnetization of the object under investigation. Here we propose an experimental procedure, based on the use of CM-MFM technique, to measure the magnetization curve of single magnetic NPs individuating their saturation magnetization, magnetic field, and coercivity. We measured, for the first time, the magnetization curves of individual Fe3O4 nanoparticles with diameters in the range of 18-32 nm by using a MFM instrument. Results are in very good agreement with the quantitative data obtained by SQUID analysis on a macroscopic sample, showing the high potential of the technique in the field of nanomagnetometry.

Hopkinson peak and superparamagnetic effects in BaFe$_{12-x}$Ga$_x$O$_{19}$ nanoparticles

Abstract: In this article, the thermomagnetic properties of a system of Ga-substituted barium hexaferrite nanoparticles ( ) prepared by ball milling were investigated. The thermomagnetic curves for the samples with x ranging from 0.0 to 1.0 exhibited sharp peaks with high magnetization just below TC (Hopkinson peaks). The height of the peak for our samples was similar or larger than previously observed or calculated values. Theoretical treatment of the experimental data demonstrated that the peaks are due to the effect of superparamagnetic relaxations of the magnetic particle. This effect was confirmed by hysteresis measurements at, and just below the temperature at which the peak occurred. Consequently, the particle diameters were calculated from the experimental data using a theoretical model based on the superparamagnetic behavior of a system of uniaxial, randomly oriented, single domain, non-interacting particles. The calculated diameters of 11 - 26 nm are less than the physical diameters determined from TEM measurements. The factors responsible for the low calculated values are discussed.