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The optoelectronic and piezoelectric properties of AlN:Er thin films have been of great recent interest for potential device applications. In this work, the focus is on the electronic state of Er in AlN:Er thin films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering on (001) p-type Si substrate. X-ray diffraction shows that Er doping expands the lattice and the AlN:Er film has preferential c-plane orientation. To determine whether Er in AlN:Er is present as Er metal, Er2O3, or Er3+ substituting for Al3+, detailed measurements and analysis of the temperature dependence (2 K-300 K) of the magnetization M at a fixed magnetic field H along with the M vs. H data at 2K up to H=90 kOe are presented. The presence of Er2O3 and Er metal is ruled out since their characteristic magnetic transitions are not observed in the AlN:Er sample. Instead, the observed M vs. T and M vs. H variations are consistent with Er present as Er3+ substituting for Al3+ in AlN:Er at a concentration x=1.08% in agreement with x=0.94%60.20% determined using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The larger size of Er3+ vs. Al3+explains the observed lattice expansion of AlN:Er. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoluminescence spectra of YVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles are presented, with and without the attachment of organic molecules that are proposed for linking to biomolecules. YVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles with 5% dopant concentration were synthesized via wet chemical synthesis. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy show the expected wakefieldite structure of tetragonal particles with an average size of 17 nm. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy determines that metal-carboxylate coordination is successful in replacing native metal-hydroxyl bonds with three organic linkers, namely, benzoic acid, 3-nitro 4-chloro-benzoic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, in separate treatments. UV-excitation photoluminescence spectra show that the position and intensity of the dominant 5D0 - 7F2 electric-dipole transition at 619 nm are unaffected by the benzoic acid and 3-nitro 4-chloro-benzoic acid treatments. Attachment of 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid produces an order-of-magnitude quenching in the photoluminescence, due to the presence of high-frequency vibrational modes in the linker. Ratios of the dominant electric- and magnetic-dipole transitions confirm infrared measurements, which indicate that the bulk crystal of the nanoparticle is unchanged by all three treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report the synthesis of sol-gel-derived lead iron niobate [Pb1.10(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3] (PFN) powders and sintered ceramics. The PFN powders were calcined at (Ta), 973, 1073, 1173, 1273, and 1373 K for 3 h in air. As envisaged from x-ray-diffraction analyses, PFN powder calcined at 1173 K was crystallized into pure monoclinic perovskite phase whereas powders calcined at all other temperatures had varied amounts of retained pyrochlore (Pb3Nb4O13) phase coexisted with dominant monoclinic perovskite phase. The PFN pellet (prepared using the phase pure powder calcined at 1173 K) sintered at 1373 K for 4 h in air also had a minute quantity of retained pyrochlore phase coexisting with desired perovskite phase. From the temperature dependence of measured capacitance and loss tangent at different frequencies, the ferroelectric to paraelectric phase-transition temperature of PFN ceramics was observed at Tc≈370 K. The diffused nature of this transition and high dielectric constant of PFN is related to the cation disorder at the B site of A(BI+3BII+5)O3 lattice. For PFN powders, calcined at different temperatures, the temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility (χ) was measured in a temperature range of 2–360 K, whereas the magnetic hysteresis loops and electron magnetic resonance (EMR) spectra were measured at room temperature. Room-temperature ferromagnetism is observed in all the calcined powder samples and it was found that the magnetization increases with the increase in calcination temperature (Ta). The symmetric EMR line shape with g≈2.01 observed in all calcined samples was identified to be due to Fe3+ ions. It is suggested that the observed weak ferromagnetism, which increases with an increase in Ta, may be due to canting of the Fe3+ spins. These observations suggest PFN to be a very attractive single-phase ferroelectric/ferromagnetic material for room-temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic properties of oleic acid/oleylamine coated magnetite nanoparticles of average diameter D=4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 nm are reported. The samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD) with XRD showing increasing disorder with decreasing D. Magnetization M vs temperature T data show the blocking temperature TB decreasing with decreasing D from TB=38 K for 12 nm to TB=6.5 K for D=4 nm. The saturation magnetization Ms at 2 K also decreases from Ms=62 emu/g for 12 nm to Ms=17 emu/g for 4 nm but the coercivity at 2 K increases with a decrease in D. It is shown that Ms fits Ms=92(1-2d/D)3 with d=0.68 nm for D>4 nm and d=0.86 for D=4 nm. This equation is derived assuming a core-shell model with shell of thickness d consisting of disordered spins not contributing to Ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anisotropic diamagnetism of pristine graphite and graphene is well known. Here, evidence of significant induced ferromagnetism in multilayer graphene (MLG) decorated with ferrimagnetic Fe3O4 particles is reported. This MLG-Fe3O4 nano-composite was prepared by a one-step ultrasonic treatment at 75 ℃ in the surfactant sodium dodecyl-benzene-sulfonate. To verify the phase structure and morphology of the composite, X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, scanning tunneling electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were employed. Room temperature data of magnetization versus magnetic field showed that the saturation magnetization MS=58.6 emu/gm for pristine Fe3O4 increased to MS=158.4 emu/gm for a 1:1 composite of Fe3O4 to MLG. These results lead to induced MS=253 emu/gm in MLG resulting from its proximity to Fe3O4. Similar experiments on Fe3O4 to single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) composite did not show any induced magnetism in SWNT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of the characterization of six Co-based Fischer–Tropsch (FT) catalysts, with 15% Co loading and supported on SiO2 and Al2O3, are presented. Room temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature and magnetic field (H) variation of the magnetization (M), and low-temperature (5 K) electron magnetic resonance (EMR) are used for determining the electronic states (Co0, CoO, Co3O4, Co2+) of cobalt. Performance of these catalysts for FT synthesis is tested at reaction temperature of 240 °C and pressure of 20 bars. Under these conditions, 15% Co/SiO2 catalysts yield higher CO and syngas conversions with higher methane selectivity than 15% Co/Al2O3 catalysts. Conversely the Al2O3 supported catalysts gave much higher selectivity towards olefins than Co/SiO2. These results yield the correlation that the presence of Co3O4 yield higher methane selectivity whereas the presence of Co2+ species yields lower methane selectivity but higher olefin selectivity. The activities and selectivities are found to be stable for 55 h on-stream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic properties of Li0.5Mg0.5MnO3-δ nanoparticles (size ≃ 20 nm) synthesized by the Pechini method are investigated using temperature dependence of its magnetization (M) and electron magnetic resonance (EMR) spectra at 9.286 GHz. Analysis of the x-ray diffraction spectra yields its structure to be a cubic defect spinel with the formula 4(Li0.5Mg0.5MnO2.75) = 3{[Li2/3Mg1/3][Mn4/3Mg1/3[larger_open_square]1/3]O11/3]} so that Mn occupies the octahedral B-sites only. The data of M versus T yields a blocking temperature TB ≃ 9 K above which the Curie-Weiss law variation with θ = 13 K and μ = 3.96μB characteristic of Mn4+ ions is established. For T < 9 K, temperature dependent coercivity and remanence are observed. The observed temperature dependence of the EMR parameters (linewidth ΔH, resonance field Hr, and intensity Io) for T < 30 K is interpreted in terms of TB (EMR) ≃ 30 K. Formation of ferromagnetic Mn4+ clusters, resulting from the co-presence of non-magnetic Mg2+ and vacancies on the B-sites, is inferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature dependence (5 K to 300 K) of the magnetic properties of two Fe/SiO2 (15/85) nanocomposites with Fe particle size D ≃ 17 nm and 30 nm is reported using magnetometry and electron magnetic resonance (EMR) spectroscopy. Structural characterization of the samples, done by X-ray diffraction, TEM, and Mössbauer spectroscopy shows the presence of α-Fe, amorphous SiO2, and some nanosize Fe3+ oxides. Both samples are ferromagnets in the 5 K to 370 K range with coercivity HC(30 nm) > HC(17 nm). In EMR studies, a single resonance line near g = 2.2 characteristic of α-Fe is observed in both samples at 300 K, with linewidth ΔH(30 nm) > ΔH(17 nm). With decreasing temperature, the EMR line shifts to lower fields and broadens, which is similar to observations in other nanoparticle systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observation of significant negative exchange bias (HE) is reported in solid solutions of single-phase samples of Dy1-x Ndx Cr O3 for x = 0.33,0.67, and 1 with corresponding Néel temperatures at TNCr = 175K,200K, and 225 K, respectively, and the spin-reorientation transitions TSR at 48 K, 58 K, and 38 K, respectively. In contrast, no HE was observed for the sample with x = 0 (i.e., DyCrO3) shows no HE below its TNCr = 145K, and no reorientation of spins at lower temperatures was observed. More importantly, the (negative) HE for the x = 0.33,0.67, and 1 samples is observed only in the temperature range between TN and TSR with the corresponding observation of magnetic coercivity. These results show that the canted antiferromagnetic Γ7,Cr structure of the Cr3+ moments present between TNCr and TSR is essential for the observed HE. By comparing this result to the literature, common features of single-phase materials with HE were identified. The present bulk powder samples were prepared by the citrate method and structurally characterized by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy techniques. Neutron diffraction measurements for the x = 0.33,0.67, and 1 samples at select temperatures were done to verify the presence of the Γ7,Cr structure between TNCr and TSR and the Γ1,Cr structure (with no canting of Cr3+ moments) below TSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]