Weak ferromagnetism and spin glass state with nano-sized nickel carbide

TL;DR

This study experimentally investigates Ni3C nanoparticles (~40 nm) revealing weak ferromagnetism, spin-glass behavior, and paramagnetism, with a Curie temperature above 300 K and complex magnetic interactions near the spin-glass freezing temperature.

Contribution

It provides new experimental evidence of multiple magnetic phases in Ni3C nanoparticles and discusses their possible origins, highlighting exchange coupling effects.

Findings

Spin-glass freezing temperature ~11 K

Weak ferromagnetism observed at 300 K (~0.02 emu/g)

Anomalous dip in coercivity near freezing temperature

Abstract

Ni3C nanoparticles of about 40 nm have been studied experimentally to exhibit weak ferromagnetic (FM), spin-glass (SG) and paramagnetic (PM) properties. The freezing temperature of the SG phase at zero applied field is determined as, TF0 ~ 11.0 K. At T > TF0, a very weak ferromagnetism has been observed over a PM background. The Curie temperature, TC, is shown to exceed 300 K and the ferromagnetism at 300 K is determined as about 0.02 emu/g (~6.7*10^{-4}mu_B per Ni3C formula unit) by subtracting the background paramagnetism. An anomalous dip appears in the temperature dependent coercivity, HC(T), near the freezing temperature, TF0. It reflects a distortedly reduced coercivity in the M(H) hysteresis loop measured at T = TF0 with the applied sweeping field around H = 0. This is attributable to the exchange coupling effect between the SG and the weak FM phases. The possible origin of the magnetic moments that account for the observed FM, SG and PM properties is discussed.