Magnetization dynamics in arrays of strongly interacting magnetic nanocrystals

Abstract

Arrays of 6.6 nm iron oxide nanocrystals coated with fatty acid molecules were produced using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The arrays had a varying number of layers stacked together, going from two dimensional to three dimensional and two different in-plane interparticle separations. While temperature-dependent ac susceptibility measurements of the isolated nanocrystals obeyed the Neel-Brown relaxation law, the array relaxation deviated significantly from this simple law. This deviation together with the observed dc field influence on the susceptibility-temperature curves, the large shifts in blocking temperatures and reduction in susceptibility-temperature curve widths on going from isolated particles to the arrays indicated collective magnetization dynamics during magnetization freezing. A scaling law analysis of this freezing dynamics yielded different powers for the two different interparticle separations with no dependence on dimensionality. In spite of the spin-glass-like behavior, it is possible that small, magnetically ordered domains of nanocrystals form at low temperature.