Magnetic dynamics of single domain Ni nanoparticles

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic behavior of Ni nanoparticles in silica, revealing how concentration influences blocking temperature and anisotropy, with findings aligning with theoretical models and indicating minimal surface effects.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the magnetic dynamics of Ni nanoparticles, especially regarding dipolar interactions and anisotropy contributions at different concentrations.

Findings

Blocking temperature increases with Ni concentration.

Magnetic susceptibility follows Néel-Arrhenius model.

Dipolar interactions significantly affect anisotropy energy.

Abstract

The dynamic magnetic properties of Ni nanoparticles diluted in an amorphous SiO2 matrix prepared from a modified sol-gel method have been studied by the frequency f dependence of the ac magnetic susceptibility \c{hi}(T). For samples with similar average radii ~ 3-4 nm, an increase of the blocking temperature from TB ~ 20 to ~ 40 K was observed for Ni concentrations of ~ 1.5 and 5 wt.%, respectively, assigned to the effects of dipolar interactions. Both the in-phase \c{hi}'(T) and the out-of-phase \c{hi}"(T) maxima follow the predictions of the thermally activated N\'eel-Arrhenius model. The effective magnetic anisotropy constant Keff inferred from \c{hi}"(T) versus f data for the 1.5 wt.% Ni sample is close to the value of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of bulk Ni, suggesting that surface effects are negligible in the present samples. In addition, the contribution from dipolar interactions to the total anisotropy energy Ea in specimens with 5 wt.% Ni was found to be comparable to the intrinsic magnetocrystalline anisotropy barrier.