Ferromagnetic ZnFe2O4 synthesized by Fe implantation into ZnO

Bulk Zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) is known to possess a normal spinel structure and is an antiferromagnetic material. However, ferri- or ferro- magnetism has been observed in nanosized ZnFe2O4, which raised the current interest of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles [1-3]. In this work, crystalline ZnFe2O4 was synthesized by Fe implantation into ZnO at 623 K, following a post thermal annealing. In the as-implanted ZnO sample, a fraction of Fe is in metallic state, and is responsible for the magnetic property. An annealing at 823 K enhanced the Fe particle formation, but Fe nanoparticles were oxidized after an annealing at 1070 K. A further annealing at 1070 K for 3.5 h induced the formation of ZnFe2O4. ZnFe2O4 was identified by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and indirectly by room temperature conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy. The magnetic property was investigated by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry (Fig. 1). At 5 K, the sample shows a hysteric loop upon magnetization reversal with a high coecivity of around 400 Oe. The magnetization also was measured as a function of temperature with zero field cooling and field cooling protocol. The zero field cooling curve exhibits a maximum magnetization at a temperature of around 26 K, indicating a nanoparticle magnetic characteristic. The ferromagnetism of ZnFe2O4 can be explained by a partially inverted spinel structure, where Fe ions migrate from octahedral B sites (Fe3+) to tetrahedral A sites (Fe2+), and a strong A-B superexchange interaction produces the ferromagnetic coupling [1-3].

[1] Z. H. Zhou, et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 79, 3167 (2001).
[2] G. F. Goya, et al, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 15, 641 (2003).
[3] J. H. Shim, et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 082503 (2005).