FMR study of 0.30(Fe₂O₃)/0.70(ZnO) nanocomposite

¹ Institute of Physics, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Al. Piastow 48, 70-311 Szczecin, Poland
² Solid State Physics, Department of Physics, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15 784 Zografos, Athens, Greece
³ Institute of Chemical and Environment Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology, K. Pulaskiego 10, 70-322 Szczecin, Poland

^a e-mail: Janusz.Typek@ps.pl

Received: 22 August 2012
Revised: 2 February 2013
Accepted: 4 February 2013
Published online: 28 March 2013

Abstract

ZnO nanocrystals doped with Fe₂O₃ have been synthesized by the calcination method. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) study of 0.3(Fe₂O₃/0.7(ZnO) nanocomposite has been carried out in the 4–300 K range. The presence of magnetic zinc ferrite ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of 11 nm was identified by XRD. Temperature dependence of the resonance field, linewidth and the integrate intensity calculated from FMR spectra has been determined. Existence of two temperature regimes: high (above 50 K) and low (below 50 K) has been established, further divided into two temperature ranges. The results of FMR study of agglomerated ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles indicate an important role of magnetic interactions, both inter-particle (exchange and dipolar) and intra-particle connected with the core-shell magnetic structure.