Magnetic study of <i>M</i>-type doped barium ferrite nanocrystalline powders

Abstract

We have studied the static magnetic properties of three different M-type doped barium ferrite compounds prepared by the glass crystallization method. The zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) processes have been recorded at low field and they all show the typical features of a small particle system. The ZFC curves display a broad peak at a temperature TM, which depends on the distribution of particle volumes in the sample. Isothermal magnetization curves M(H) at several temperatures and saturation magnetization Ms as a function of temperature have been measured for the Co-Ti sample (BaFe10.4Co0.8Ti0.8O19). The dependence on temperature of the macroscopic magnetic parameters has been analyzed. The distribution of blocking temperatures is studied from the derivative of the remanent-to-saturation magnetization ratio with respect to temperature and it is fitted to a lognormal distribution, leading to a mean blocking temperature 〈TB〉=(81±40) K. The distribution of volumes of the magnetic unit is also obtained from this fitting. The dependence on temperature of the coercive field follows a Tk-law below 35 K. The value of the k exponent is discussed within the scope of two models: (i) the aligned case (k=0.5) and (ii) the random case (k=0.77).