Magnetic properties of aligned Fe-filled carbon nanotubes

Abstract

We report on the magnetic properties of Fe-filled multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on Si substrates with ferrocene as precursor. The MWNTs are aligned perpendicularly to the substrate plane. X-ray diffraction analyses indicate the presence of both bcc and fcc iron with a relatively strong texture. Magnetometry measurements show a pronounced magnetic anisotropy with the easy axis perpendicular to the substrate plane and parallel to the axis of the aligned MWNTs, respectively. The low-temperature behavior suggests a negligible coupling between the two iron phases. We accessed the magnetic properties of individual Fe-filled MWNTs by electron holography using a transmission electron microscope (TEM).