Dynamics of AC susceptibility and coercivity behavior in nanocrystalline TbAl1.5 Fe0.5 alloys

The static and dynamic magnetic macroscopic properties of bulk and nanocrystalline TbAl1.5Fe0.5 alloys have been investigated. In bulk state, this alloy is understood as a reentrant ferromagnet. This is characterized by a ferromagnetic Curie transition at 114 K, as deduced from magnetization including Arrott plots, higher than that of TbAl2. The reentrance is found at lower temperatures, below 66 K, with a cluster glass behavior setting in, deduced from the magnetization irreversibility. This is accompanied by an abrupt increase in the coercivity from 0.08 kOe to 15 kOe at 5 K, with respect to the TbAl2 alloy. Room temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy confirms the paramagnetic state of such a bulk alloy. The spin dynamics within the disordered magnetic state is described by the AC-susceptibility which shows a Vogel–Fulcher law for the slowing down process. This is caused by a random anisotropy affecting the existing clusters. The production of milled TbAl1.5Fe0.5 alloys enhances the presence of magnetic disorder and results in the particle downsizing toward the nanocrystalline state (close to 10 nm). In this case, two frequency-dependent contributions exist, with different activation energies, one of them cannot be described by ideal spin glass nor blocking/unblocking (nanoparticle) processes. In addition, the coercivity reduces to 1 kOe with the decrease in the size as a consequence of the existence of single domain particles. The results are explained by the intricate interplay between exchange interactions and magnetocrystalline anisotropy with disorder and size effects. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.This work has been supported by the MAT2008-06542-C04 and MAT2011-27573-C04 projects.Peer Reviewe

Correlation between site preference of ternary Mn addition in LaAg and superconductivity

The results of an extensive investigation of structure, surface morphology, composition and the superconducting-normal phase diagram of a new unconventional superconductor LaAg1-cMnc with nominal composition c = 0.0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3, reveal the following. The alloys with c = 0, 0.025 and 0.05 are essentially single phase alloys with the actual Mn concentration, x, same as the nominal one, i.e., c = x, whereas in the alloys with c = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3, the actual Mn concentration of the majority phase (crystalline grains) is x = 0.050(1), 0.080(1) and 0.100(1), respectively. The ternary Mn addition does not alter the CsCl structure of the parent compound LaAg. Neither a structural phase transition occurs nor a long-range antiferromagnetic order exists at any temperature within the range 1.8K < = T < = 50K in any of the Mn containing alloys. Mn has exclusive La (Ag) site preference in the alloy (alloys) with x = c = 0.025 (x < = 0.05 or c < = 0.1) whereas in the alloy with x = c = 0.05, Mn has essentially no site preference in that all the Mn atoms either occupy the La sites or the Ag sites. In the alloys (alloy) with x < = 0.05 (x = c = 0.025), substitution of Ag (La) by Mn at the Ag (La) sub-lattice sites in LaAg host gives rise to unconventional superconductivity (destroys the conventional phonon-mediated superconductivity prevalent in the parent LaAg compound).Comment: The manuscript has 25 pages that include the text, 2 Tables and 12 Figures. The manuscript contains unpublished results which are of paramount interest to the Condensed Matter Physics Community at large and particularly to those engaged in the pursuit of research in Unconventional Superconductivit

Modifying the magnetic response of magnetotactic bacteria: incorporation of Gd and Tb ions into the magnetosome structure

Magnetotactic bacteria Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense MSR-1 biosynthesise chains of cube–octahedral magnetosomes, which are 40 nm magnetite high quality (Fe3O4) nanoparticles. The magnetic properties of these crystalline magnetite nanoparticles, which can be modified by the addition of other elements into the magnetosome structure (doping), are of prime interest in a plethora of applications, those related to cancer therapy being some of the most promising ones. Although previous studies have focused on transition metal elements, rare earth (RE) elements are very interesting as doping agents, both from a fundamental point of view (e.g. significant differences in ionic sizes) and for the potential applications, especially in biomedicine (e.g. magnetic resonance imaging and luminescence). In this work, we have investigated the impact of Gd and Tb on the magnetic properties of magnetosomes by using different complementary techniques. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy analyses have revealed that a small amount of RE ions, ∼3–4%, incorporate into the Fe3O4 structure as Gd3+ and Tb3+ ions. The experimental magnetic characterisation has shown a clear Verwey transition for the RE-doped bacteria, located at T ∼ 100 K, which is slightly below the one corresponding to the undoped ones (106 K). However, we report a decrease in the coercivity and remanence of the RE-doped bacteria. Simulations based on the Stoner–Wohlfarth model have allowed us to associate these changes in the magnetic response with a reduction of the magnetocrystalline (KC) and, especially, the uniaxial (Kuni) anisotropies below the Verwey transition. In this way, Kuni reaches a value of 23 and 26 kJ m−3 for the Gd- and Tb-doped bacteria, respectively, whilst a value of 37 kJ m−3 is obtained for the undoped bacteria.This work was supported in part by the Spanish MCIN/AEI under Projects MAT2017-83631-C3-R and PID2020-115704RB-C33. The work of Elizabeth M. Jefremovas was supported by the “Concepción Arenal Grant” awarded by Gobierno de Cantabria and Universidad de Cantabria. The work of Lourdes Marcano was supported by the Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Basque Government under Grant POS-2019-2-0017. The authors would like to thank “Nanotechnology in translational hyperthermia” (HIPERNANO)-RED2018-102626-T. We thank the ALBA (CLAESS beamline) synchrotron radiation facilities and staff for the allocation of beamtime and assistance during the experiments

Size effects in the magnetic behaviour of TbAl_2 milled alloys

The study of the magnetic properties depending upon mechanical milling of the ferromagnetic polycrystalline TbAl_2 material is reported. The Rietveld analysis of the X-ray diffraction data reveals a decrease of the grain size down to 14 nm and -0.15 % of variation of the lattice parameter, after 300 hours of milling time. Irreversibility in the zero field cooled - field cooled (ZFC-FC) DC-susceptibility and clear peaks in the AC susceptibility between 5 and 300 K show that the long-range ferromagnetic structure is inhibited in favour of a disordered spin arrangement below 45 K. This glassy behaviour is also deduced from the variation of the irreversibility transition with the field (H^{2/3}) and frequency. The magnetization process of the bulk TbAl_2 is governed by domain wall thermal activation processes. By contrast, in the milled samples, cluster-glass properties arise as a result of cooperative interactions due to the substitutional disorder. The interactions are also influenced by the nanograin structure of the milled alloys, showing a variation of coercivity with the grain size, below the crossover between the multi- and single-domain behaviours.Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures, to appear in J. Phys.: Condens. Ma

Crossover from superspin glass to superferromagnet in FexAg100-x nanostructured thin films ( 20 ≤ x ≤ 50 )

FexAg100?x granular thin films, with 20 x 50, have been prepared by the dc-magnetron sputtering deposition technique. With this technique we have been able to obtain samples comprising small Fe nanoparticles 2.5?3 nm embedded in a Ag matrix, remaining their size practically constant with increasing Fe content. Their magnetic behavior has been fully characterized by dc magnetic measurements between 5?350 K. They have revealed a crossover in the collective magnetic behavior of the Fe nanoparticles around a 35 at. %. Below such a concentration, a collective freezing of the magnetic moments is observed at low temperatures, while at high temperatures a transition, mainly mediated by dipolar interactions, to a magnetically disordered state is obtained. Above this concentration, direct exchange interactions overcome the dipolar magnetic interactions and a long-range order tends to prevail in the range of temperatures analyzed. ac magnetic measurements have indicated a crossover from a superspin glass x35 to a superferromagnetic x35 behavior for the magnetic moments of the Fe nanoparticles.This work was supported by the CICYT of Spain under Contracts No. MAT2008-06542-C04-02 and No. MAT2008- 06542-C04-04. SGIker technical support MEC, GV/EJ, European Social Fund is gratefully acknowledged. The financial support from the Basque Government Department of Education Project No. IT-347-07 is acknowledged

Thermoremanence anomaly in Fe-Zr(B,Cu) Invar metallic glasses: Volume expansion induced ferromagnetism

We report the existence of a thermally induced sharp increase of thermoremanence around the Curie temperature of Invar-like Fe-Zr(B,Cu) soft magnetic glasses. Neutron-diffraction measurements indicate that a true enhancement of the average local magnetic moment, rather than only a change in the domain structure, occurs. Such enhancement has been tentatively attributed to the increasing volume expansion that takes place beyond the Curie temperature and reinforces ferromagnetism in some low-density clusters

Size-induced superantiferromagnetism with reentrant spin-glass behavior in metallic nanoparticles of TbCu2

An unusual 4f -superantiferromagnetic state characterized by simultaneous antiferromagnetic and spin-glass behaviors induced by particle-size reduction is revealed in metallic nanoparticles (≈ 9 nm) of TbCu 2 . The Néel temperature is 46 K and the glassy freezing is below ≈ 9 K and governed by a critical slowing down process. Neutron diffraction at 1.8 K establishes the superantiferromagnetism. The latter is settled by the nanoparticle moments and the freezing mechanism is provided by the surface spins

Magnetic behavior of the nanophase of YbNi<inf>2</inf> alloys

© 2017, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.Variations in magnetic properties of the heavy-fermion YbNi2 alloy when milled in a high energy ball milling system have been investigated. The ferromagnetic transition (TC = 10.4 K) in the initial sample almost vanishes after milling, which leads to the appearance of a magnetic transition at T* = 3.2 K in nanocrystallites. Before milling, processes of spin–lattice relaxation of the Orbach–Aminov type with the participation of the first excited Stark sublevel of the Yb3+ ion located at 75 K are dominating in the electron spin dynamics in the paramagnetic phase of the alloy. A comparative study of the temperature dependence of the magnetic properties and spectra of electron paramagnetic resonance in poly- and nanocrystalline samples indicates the existence of a magnetic inhomogeneity of the compound arising upon milling

Magnetotactic bacteria for cancer therapy

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are aquatic microorganisms that are able to biomineralize membrane-enclosed magnetic nanoparticles called magnetosomes. Inside the MTB, magnetosomes are arranged in a chain that allows MTB to align and navigate along the Earth's magnetic field. When isolated from the MTB, magnetosomes display a number of potential applications for targeted cancer therapies, such as magnetic hyperthermia, localized drug delivery, or tumor monitoring. The characteristics and properties of magnetosomes for these applications exceed in several aspects those of synthetic magnetic nanoparticles. Likewise, the whole MTB can also be considered as promising agents for cancer treatment, taking advantage of their self-propulsion capability provided by their flagella and the guidance capabilities ensured by their magnetosome chain. Indeed, MTB are envisaged as nanobiots that can be guided and manipulated by external magnetic fields and are naturally attracted toward hypoxic areas, such as the tumor regions, while retaining the therapeutic and imaging capacities of the isolated magnetosomes. Moreover, unlike most of the bacteria currently tested in clinical trials for cancer therapy, MTB are not pathogenic but could be engineered to deliver and/or express specific cytotoxic molecules. In this article, we will review the progress and perspectives of this emerging research field and will discuss the main challenges to overcome before the use of MTB can be successfully applied in the clinic.The Spanish and Basque Governments are acknowledged for funding under Project Nos. MAT2017-83631-C3-R and IT-1245-19, respectively

Microstructural-defect-induced Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

The antisymmetric Dzyaloshinskii?Moriya interaction (DMI) plays a decisive role for the stabilization and control of chirality of skyrmion textures in various magnetic systems exhibiting a noncentrosymmetric crystal structure. A less studied aspect of the DMI is that this interaction is believed to be operative in the vicinity of lattice imperfections in crystalline magnetic materials, due to the local structural inversion symmetry breaking. If this scenario leads to an effect of sizable magnitude, it implies that the DMI introduces chirality into a very large class of magnetic materials?defect-rich systems such as polycrystalline magnets. Here, we show experimentally that the microstructural-defect-induced DMI gives rise to a polarization-dependent asymmetric term in the small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) cross section of polycrystalline ferromagnets with a centrosymmetric crystal structure. The results are supported by theoretical predictions using the continuum theory of micromagnetics. This effect, conjectured already by Arrott in 1963, is demonstrated for nanocrystalline terbium and holmium (with a large grain-boundary density), and for mechanically deformed microcrystalline cobalt (with a large dislocation density). Analysis of the scattering asymmetry allows one to determine the defect-induced DMI constant, D=0.45±0.07mJ/m2 for Tb at 100K. Our study proves the generic relevance of the DMI for the magnetic microstructure of defect-rich ferromagnets with vanishing intrinsic DMI. Polarized SANS is decisive for disclosing the signature of the defect-induced DMI, which is related to the unique dependence of the polarized SANS cross section on the chiral interactions. The findings open up the way to study defect-induced skyrmionic magnetization textures in disordered materials