138 research outputs found
Normalization factors for magnetic relaxation of small particle systems in non-zero magnetic field
We critically discuss relaxation experiments in magnetic systems that can be
characterized in terms of an energy barrier distribution, showing that proper
normalization of the relaxation data is needed whenever curves corresponding to
different temperatures are to be compared. We show how these normalization
factors can be obtained from experimental data by using the
scaling method without making any assumptions about the nature of the energy
barrier distribution. The validity of the procedure is tested using a
ferrofluid of Fe_3O_4 particles.Comment: 5 pages, 6 eps figures added in April 22, to be published in Phys.
Rev. B 55 (1 April 1997
Magnetic behaviour of ferromagnets with random anisotropy
This article reports on a magnetometric study of the effects of diluted local random anisotropy in a ferromagnetic Fe80B20 amorphous matrix. In the low‐temperature and low‐field regime the samples, Fe74RE6B20 (RE=Nd, Ce), show a very rich behavior as a consequence of the competition between, and different dependence on T, of the correlation length associated with local random anisotropy and exchange interactions. In the high‐field regime (Happlied≥1.5 kOe) we observe ferromagnetic behavior with the saturation magnetization varying with temperature according to Bloch’s law. The spin wave stiffness constant D could be determined and lies close to 100 meVÅ2
Magnetic Field scaling of Relaxation curves in Small Particle Systems
We study the effects of the magnetic field on the relaxation of the
magnetization of small monodomain non-interacting particles with random
orientations and distribution of anisotropy constants. Starting from a master
equation, we build up an expression for the time dependence of the
magnetization which takes into account thermal activation only over barriers
separating energy minima, which, in our model, can be computed exactly from
analytical expressions. Numerical calculations of the relaxation curves for
different distribution widths, and under different magnetic fields H and
temperatures T, have been performed. We show how a \svar scaling of the
curves, at different T and for a given H, can be carried out after proper
normalization of the data to the equilibrium magnetization. The resulting
master curves are shown to be closely related to what we call effective energy
barrier distributions, which, in our model, can be computed exactly from
analytical expressions. The concept of effective distribution serves us as a
basis for finding a scaling variable to scale relaxation curves at different H
and a given T, thus showing that the field dependence of energy barriers can be
also extracted from relaxation measurements.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Finite-Size and surface effects in maghemite nanoparticles: Monte Carlo simulations
Finite-size and surface effects in fine particle systems are investigated by
Monte Carlo simulation of a model of a -FeO (maghemite) single
particle. Periodic boundary conditions have been used to simulate the bulk
properties and the results compared with those for a spherical shaped particle
with free boundaries to evidence the role played by the surface on the
anomalous magnetic properties displayed by these systems at low temperatures.
Several outcomes of the model are in qualitative agreement with the
experimental findings. A reduction of the magnetic ordering temperature,
spontaneous magnetization, and coercive field is observed as the particle size
is decreased. Moreover, the hysteresis loops become elongated with high values
of the differential susceptibility, resembling those from frustrated or
disordered systems. These facts are consequence of the formation of a surface
layer with higher degree of magnetic disorder than the core, which, for small
sizes, dominates the magnetization processes of the particle. However, in
contradiction with the assumptions of some authors, our model does not predict
the freezing of the surface layer into a spin-glass-like state. The results
indicate that magnetic disorder at the surface simply facilitates the thermal
demagnetization of the particle at zero field, while the magnetization is
increased at moderate fields, since surface disorder diminishes ferrimagnetic
correlations within the particle. The change in shape of the hysteresis loops
with the particle size demonstrates that the reversal mode is strongly
influenced by the reduced atomic coordination and disorder at the surface.Comment: Twocolumn RevTex format. 19 pages, 15 Figures included. Submitted to
Phys. Rev.
Surfactant effects in magnetite nanoparticles of controlled size
Abstract Magnetite Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles of controlled size within 6 and 20 nm in diameter were synthesised by thermal decomposition of an iron organic precursor in an organic medium. Particles were coated with oleic acid. For all samples studied, saturation magnetisation M s is size-independent, and reaches a value close to that expected for bulk magnetite, in contrast to results in small particle systems for which M s is usually much smaller due to surface spin disorder. The coercive field for the 6 nm particles is in agreement with coherent rotation, taking the bulk magnetocrystalline anisotropy into account. Both results suggest that the oleic acid molecules covalently bonded to the nanoparticle surface yield a strong reduction in the surface spin disorder. However, although the saturated state may be similar, the approach to saturation is different and, in particular, the high-field differential susceptibility is one order of magnitude larger than in bulk materials. The relevance of these results in biomedical applications is discussed.
Enhancement of the magnetic anisotropy of nanometer-sized Co clusters: influence of the surface and of the inter-particle interactions
We study the magnetic properties of spherical Co clusters with diameters
between 0.8 nm and 5.4 nm (25 to 7500$ atoms) prepared by sequential sputtering
of Co and Al2O3. The particle size distribution has been determined from the
equilibrium susceptibility and magnetization data and it is compared to
previous structural characterizations. The distribution of activation energies
was independently obtained from a scaling plot of the ac susceptibility.
Combining these two distributions we have accurately determined the effective
anisotropy constant Keff. We find that Keff is enhanced with respect to the
bulk value and that it is dominated by a strong anisotropy induced at the
surface of the clusters. Interactions between the magnetic moments of adjacent
layers are shown to increase the effective activation energy barrier for the
reversal of the magnetic moments. Finally, this reversal is shown to proceed
classically down to the lowest temperature investigated (1.8 K).Comment: 13 figures submitted to Phys. Rev.
Interaction effects and energy barrier distribution on the magnetic relaxation of nanocrystalline hexagonal ferrites
Magnetic relaxation in La0.250Pr0.375Ca0.375MnO3 with varying phase separation
We have studied the magnetic relaxation properties of the phase-separated
manganite compound La0.250Pr0.375Ca0.375MnO3 . A series of polycrystalline
samples was prepared with different sintering temperatures, resulting in a
continuous variation of phase fraction between metallic (ferromagnetic) and
charge-ordered phases at low temperatures. Measurements of the magnetic
viscosity show a temperature and field dependence which can be correlated to
the static properties. Common to all the samples, there appears to be two types
of relaxation processes - at low fields associated with the reorientation of
ferromagnetic domains and at higher fields associated with the transformation
between ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic phases.Comment: 30 pages with figures, PDF, accepted to be published in Physical
Review
Live birth rates and perinatal outcomes when all embryos are frozen compared with conventional fresh and frozen embryo transfer: a cohort study of 337,148 in vitro fertilisation cycles
BACKGROUND: It is not known whether segmentation of an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycle, with freezing of all embryos prior to transfer, increases the chance of a live birth after all embryos are transferred. METHODS: In a prospective study of UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority data, we investigated the impact of segmentation, compared with initial fresh embryo followed by frozen embryo transfers, on live birth rate and perinatal outcomes. We used generalised linear models to assess the effect of segmentation in the whole cohort, with additional analyses within women who had experienced both segmentation and non-segmentation. We compared rates of live birth, low birthweight (LB
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