Voltage and Temperature Dependence of High-Field Magnetoresistance in Arrays of Magnetic Nanoparticles

Huge values of high field magnetoresistance have been recently reported in large arrays of CoFe nanoparticles embedded in an organic insulating lattice in the Coulomb blockade regime. An unusual exponential decrease of magnetoresistance with increasing voltage was observed, as well as a characteristic scaling of the magnetoresistance amplitude versus the field-temperature ratio. We propose a model which takes into account the influence of paramagnetic impurities on the transport properties of the system to describe these features. It is assumed that the non-colinearity between the core spins inside the nanoparticles and the paramagnetic impurities can be modelled by an effective tunnel barrier, the height of which depends on the relative angle between the magnetization of both kind of spins. The influence on the magnetotransport properties of the height and the thickness of the effective tunnel barrier of the magnetic moment of the impurity, as well as the bias voltage are studied. This model allows us to reproduce the large magnetoresistance magnitude observed and its strong voltage dependence, with realistic parameters.Comment: 19 pages, with 6 figures, references and figure caption

High-field and low field magnetoresistance of CoFe nanoparticles elaborated by organometallic chemistry

We report on magnetotransport measurements on CoFe nanoparticles surrounded by an insulating organic layer. Samples were obtained by evaporating a solution of nanoparticles on a patterned substrate. Typical behaviour of Coulomb blockade in array of nanoparticles is observed. High and low field magnetoresistance have been evidenced. Below 10 K, a large high-field magnetoresistance is measured, reaching up to 500 %. Its amplitude decreases strongly with increasing voltage. At 1.6 K, this high-field magnetoresistance vanishes and an inverse low field tunnelling magnetoresistance is observed.Comment: 12 pages, with 3 figures, references and figure captions. Proceeding of the 52nd MMM conferenc

Heterodimers based on CoPt3-Au nanocrystals with tunable domain size.

We describe an approach to synthesize colloidal nanocrystal heterodimers composed of CoPt3 and Au. The growth is based on the nucleation of gold domains on preformed CoPt3 nanocrystals. It is a highly versatile methodology which allows us to tune independently the size of the two domains in each dimer by varying several reaction parameters. The statistical analysis of the distribution of the domain sizes in the dimers and the compositional mapping achieved by dark field imaging and energy dispersive spectroscopy confirm that the two domains in each dimer are indeed made of CoPt3 and Au, respectively. Structural characterization by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that the two domains, both having cubic fcc Bravais lattice, can share a common {111}, {100}, or {110} facet, depending on the size of the initial CoPt3 seeds. The magnetization measurements evidence a ferromagnetic CoPt3 phase with a relatively low anisotropy as a consequence of their disordered crystalline structure, regardless of the presence of a Au tip. We believe that this prototype of nanocrystal dimer, which can be manipulated under air, can find several applications in nanoscience, as the Au section can be exploited as the preferential anchor point for various molecules, while the CoPt3 domain can be used for magnetic detection

Transport in Magnetic Nanoparticles Super-Lattices : Coulomb Blockade, Hysteresis and Magnetic Field Induced Switching

We report on magnetotransport measurements on millimetric super-lattices of Co-Fe nanoparticles surrounded by an organic layer. At low temperature, the transition between the Coulomb blockade and the conductive regime becomes abrupt and hysteretic. The transition between both regime can be induced by a magnetic field, leading to a novel mechanism of magnetoresistance. Between 1.8 and 10 K, high-field magnetoresistance due to magnetic disorder at the surface of the particles is also observed. Below 1.8 K, this magnetoresistance abruptly collapses and a low-field magnetoresistance is observed.Comment: 9 pages (text, figures, figures legends and references). 3 figures reference 33 added : "arXiv:0710.1750v1

3000 % high-field magnetoresistance in super-lattices of CoFe nanoparticles

We report on magnetotransport measurements on millimetre-large super-lattices of CoFe nanoparticles surrounded by an organic layer. Electrical properties are typical of Coulomb blockade in three dimensional arrays of nanoparticles. A large high-field magnetoresistance, reaching up to 3000 %, is measured between 1.8 and 10 K. This exceeds by two orders of magnitude magnetoresistance values generally measured in arrays of 3d metals ferromagnetic nanoparticles. The magnetoresistance amplitude scales with the magnetic field / temperature ratio and displays an unusual exponential dependency with the applied voltage. The magnetoresistance abruptly disappears below 1.8 K. We propose that the magnetoresistance is due to some individual paramagnetic moments localized between the metallic core of the nanoparticles, the origin of which is discussed.Comment: 9 pages (text, references, figures and legends

Magnetic Properties of Ferritchromite and Cr‐Magnetite and Monitoring of Cr‐Spinels Alteration in Ultramafic and Mafic Rocks

Spinel is a ubiquitous mineral in mafic/ultramafic rocks. Spinel cores chemistry is extensively used as a petrogenetic proxy while their alteration phases, ferritchromite, and Cr‐magnetite, are used as metamorphic grade indicators. However, the magnetic properties and composition of these phases are still ill‐defined and no consensus exists concerning the metamorphic conditions involved in their formation. Here, we use the magnetic properties of these Cr‐spinel alteration phases, via field‐dependent parameters and observations with a magnetic microscope coupled with mineral chemistry and Mössbauer spectroscopy, to better constrain their composition. We identify Cr‐magnetite by a Curie point of ca. 520°C. We show that it is characterized by an n between 0.1 and 0.2 in the Fe‐Cr spinel formula [Fe2+(Fe1−n Cr n)2 O4], which corresponds to 6–13 wt.% of Cr2O3. The abundance of Cr‐magnetite indicates a strong alteration of Cr‐spinels that could reflect a significant hydrothermal activity rather than a high metamorphism grade. Normalized variation curves of the magnetic susceptibility during heating allow a relative quantification of the contributions of different magnetic phases to the magnetic susceptibility. This highlights a link between ferritchromite destabilization into maghemite at ca. 130°C followed by the destabilization of this maghemite starting at 300°C. We identify specific covariation trends between these two magnetic species characterizing different alteration processes. This study opens the door to magnetic monitoring of the Cr‐spinel alteration state in mafic and ultramafic rocks. It constitutes a new, fast, and weakly destructive way to study the petrological history of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial rocks

Practical Works on Nanotechnology: Middle School to Undergraduate Students

Since its emergence a few decades ago, nanotechnology has been shown to be a perfect example of a crossroad between different fundamentals sciences. In the last 10 years, the continuous progress of classical top-down lithography and the use of alternative bottom-up elaboration methods has allowed new and smaller components to be created. Their combination has led to very complex and innovative architectures. At the same time, flexible, low-cost, and low-ecological-footprint devices have emerged. Thus, the diversity and multidisciplinary features present challenges in addressing these issues in educational programs

Propriétés de transport de nanoparticules magnétiques de FeCo auto-organisées

Je présente dans ce travail de thèse l étude des propriétés de transport électronique de nanoparticules de FeCo auto-assemblées. Ces nanoparticules, métalliques et ferromagnétiques, sont obtenues par synthèse chimique et stabilisées par des ligands organiques. Deux types de systèmes ont été étudiés : des solides compacts issus directement de la synthèse (auto-assemblage spontané en réseau 3D) et des réseaux 2D obtenus après dépôt d une solution de particules. Les mesures de magnéto-transport réalisées sur ces deux types d échantillons nous ont donc permis d étudier le rôle de la dimensionnalité et du désordre sur les propriétés de conduction. Les deux types de systèmes présentent à basse température un comportement typique du blocage de Coulomb. Quand un champ magnétique est appliqué, deux régimes de magnétorésistance (MR) sont observés : - Entre 1.8 K et 10 K, des effets magnétorésistifs apparaissent pour des valeurs de champ magnétique supérieures au champ de saturation magnétique des particules. Un modèle phénoménologique basé sur la présence d impuretés paramagnétiques localisées dans la barrière a été développé afin de reproduire les propriétés de cette MR. - En dessous de 1.8 K, cette MR à fort champ disparaît et une MR classique reliée à l aimantation des particules est mesurée. Enfin, des effets collectifs ont été observés sur certains échantillons. Ils se manifestent sur le transport électronique par des transitions hystérétiques entre deux modes de conduction distincts. L application d un champ magnétique induit la transition entre ces deux régimes. Dans des conditions optimisées, cette transition se révèle réversible, donnant lieu à un nouveau type de MR.I report in this study the transport properties of self-assembled CoFe nanoparticles. These nanoparticles, which are metallic and ferromagnetic, are obtained by chemical synthesis and stabilized by organic ligands. Two types of systems have been studied: as-prepared solids resulting from spontaneous self-organization of the nanoparticles in 3D lattices and 2D lattices obtained by a deposition of a solution of nanoparticles. Thus, the magnetotransport measurements of both systems allow us to study the role of the dimensionality and the disorder on the electronic transport. All systems show at low temperature typical features of Coulomb blockade in arrays of nanoparticles. When an external magnetic field is applied, two regimes of magnetoresistance (MR) are observed : - The first one between 1.8 K and 10 K is characterized by a MR which appears for values of the applied field larger than the saturation field of the nanoparticles. A phenomenological model based on magnetic impurities localized between the nanoparticles has been developed in order to describe the properties of this MR. - Below 1.8 K, this high-field MR collapses and a classical MR related to the magnetization of the particles occurs. Finally, novel properties attributed to the collective behaviour of the nanoparticles have been observed in some samples. It is displayed in the electronic conduction by hysteretic transitions between two regimes of conduction. We show that an external magnetic field can induce the transition between both regimes. In optimum conditions, this transition is reversible and leads to a new mechanism of MRTOULOUSE-INSA (315552106) / SudocSudocFranceF

Croissance physique d'îlots de Pt et Co sur oxydes pour l'auto-organisation de nano-bâtonnets de Co élaborés par synthèse chimique

Le sujet de thèse s inscrit dans le cadre des stratégies visant à organiser des nanostructures, plus particulièrement les stratégies visant à augmenté la densité d information dans les médias magnétique. Les techniques de synthèse en chimie douce utilisés au LPCNO-INSA on permet d élaborer des nano-bâtonnets monocristallins de cobalt dont les propriétés ferromagnétiques en termes d anisotropie et d aimantation présentent un grand intérêt pour des applications dans le domaine du stockage magnétique. La maitrise de la croissance de ces nano-bâtonnets de Co organisés perpendiculairement sur un substrat peut permettre de réaliser un média de forte densité. Nous avons dans un premier temps vérifié la croissance perpendiculaire de nano bâtonnets de cobalt monocristallins sur une couche continue de Pt (111) épitaxiée sur un substrat de saphir (Al2O3) et montré que cette combinaison de deux types de dépôts (physique et chimique) donne effectivement lieu à un réseau dense et perpendiculaire de bâtonnets de Co. Pour but d organiser cette croissance et découpler physiquement les bâtonnets de Co nous avons alors étudié la croissance de ces bâtonnets de Co sur des îlots 3D métalliques de Pt et de Co.En première partie nous avons étudié la structure cristalline, La morphologie, les distributions en taille et l état des contraintes des îlots de Pt et Co déposée sur la surface (0001) du saphir et la surface (001) du MgO par pulvérisation cathodique. Et en deuxième partie, nous avons étudié la croissance des nano bâtonnets de Co sur les ilots de Pt et de Co maitrisés dans l étape précédenteThe subject of this thesis is to be part of strategies in order to organize nanostructures, particularly strategies to increase information density in magnetic media. The synthesis techniques used in chemistry (LPCNO-INSA laboratory) is allowed to develop monocrystalline nanorods of cobalt whose ferromagnetic properties in terms of anisotropy and magnetization present a great interest for applications in the field of magnetic storage. The success in controling the growth of these nanorods arranged perpendicularly on a substrate can lead to achieve a high density media. We tested the perpendicular growth of monocrystalline nanorods of cobalt on a continuous and epitaxial layer of Pt (111) grown on a substrate of sapphire (Al2O3) and showed that this combination of two types of deposits (physical and chemical) give actually a dense and perpendicular network of Co nanorods. In the aim to organizing this growth and decoupling physically the nanorods we studied the growth of these Co nanorods on 3D metallic islands of Pt and Co. In the first part we studied the crystal structure, morphology, size distributions and the stress state of Pt and Co islands deposited on the surface (0001) of sapphire and (001) surface of MgO by sputtering. And in the second part, we studied the growth of Co nanorods on a Pt and Co islands mastered in the previous stepTOULOUSE-INSA-Bib. electronique (315559905) / SudocSudocFranceF

Magnetic hyperthermia properties of nanoparticles inside lysosomes using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations: Influence of key parameters and dipolar interactions, and evidence for strong spatial variation of heating power

International audienceUnderstanding the influence of dipolar interactions in magnetic hyperthermia experiments is of crucial importance for fine optimization of nanoparticle (NP) heating power. In this study we use a kinetic Monte Carlo algorithm to calculate hysteresis loops that correctly account for both time and temperature. This algorithm is shown to correctly reproduce the high-frequency hysteresis loop of both superparamagnetic and ferromagnetic NPs without any ad hoc or artificial parameters. The algorithm is easily parallelizable with a good speed-up behavior, which considerably decreases the calculation time on several processors and enables the study of assemblies of several thousands of NPs. The specific absorption rate (SAR) of magnetic NPs dispersed inside spherical lysosomes is studied as a function of several key parameters: volume concentration, applied magnetic field, lysosome size, NP diameter, and anisotropy. The influence of these parameters is illustrated and comprehensively explained. In summary, magnetic interactions increase the coercive field, saturation field, and hysteresis area of major loops. However, for small amplitude magnetic fields such as those used in magnetic hyperthermia, the heating power as a function of concentration can increase, decrease, or display a bell shape, depending on the relationship between the applied magnetic field and the coercive/saturation fields of the NPs. The hysteresis area is found to be well correlated with the parallel or antiparallel nature of the dipolar field acting on each particle. The heating power of a given NP is strongly influenced by a local concentration involving approximately 20 neighbors. Because this local concentration strongly decreases upon approaching the surface, the heating power increases or decreases in the vicinity of the lysosome membrane. The amplitude of variation reaches more than one order of magnitude in certain conditions. This transition occurs on a thickness corresponding to approximately 1.3 times the mean distance between two neighbors. The amplitude and sign of this variation is explained. Finally, implications of these various findings are discussed in the framework of magnetic hyperthermia optimization. It is concluded that feedback on two specific points from biology experiments is required for further advancement of the optimization of magnetic NPs for magnetic hyperthermia. The present simulations will be an advantageous tool to optimize magnetic NPs heating power and interpret experimental results