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A custom setup for Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity measurements of thin films as a function of temperature in the range of 10–300 K was developed. The Seebeck coefficient is measured using a two-probe arrangement and using either a dynamical or steady/quasi-steady differential method. The temperature differences (ΔTs) for these measurements across the samples are achieved by using resistive heaters embedded in two copper blocks. The sample is screwed to these blocks and is in pressured contact with the measurement probes. The electrical resistivity is measured with a two-probe arrangement. To verify the reliability of the developed setup, measurement tests were performed on commercial niobium foil and a specular spin valve previously studied, having obtained a great accordance (within ∼3%) between this setup's experimental results and the reference measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the magnetic properties of spherical monodispersed maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles coated with multiple silica (SiO2) layers of different thicknesses, forming core-shell multifunctional nanomaterials. This study was performed using a combination of local probe techniques (Mössbauer spectrometry) and magnetization measurements. At room temperature, both techniques confirm the superparamagnetic state of the samples, even after being coated with the SiO2 shells. The zero-field-cooling-field-cooling magnetization curves of the silica-coated γ-Fe2O3 nanomaterials with different shell thicknesses allow the evaluation of the intensity of the interparticle dipole-dipole interactions. We estimate the interparticle energy within the framework of dipolar interaction models and relate it with the hyperfine parameters. We further observe that this dipole-dipole interaction increases the superparamagnetic energy barrier, which largely depends on the interparticle distance. Finally, we consider the effect of spin canting at the surface ('dead layer') of uncoated γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles manifested by a layer of ∼0.5(1) nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]