Structural and Magnetic Properties of Barium Hexaferrite Nanoplatelets

TL;DR

This study synthesizes and characterizes barium hexaferrite nanoplatelets, revealing how their size, shape, and arrangement influence magnetic interactions, which is crucial for advancing data storage, spintronics, and medical applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of the structural and magnetic properties of barium hexaferrite nanoplatelets, including experimental synthesis, microscopy, and micro-magnetic modeling, highlighting interaction regimes.

Findings

Dense arrangements show exchange coupling with parallel magnetization.

Separated particles exhibit anti-parallel magnetic coupling.

Micro-magnetic modeling identifies dominant interaction length scales.

Abstract

Combining unique geometric and magnetic anisotropy in barium hexaferrites has the potential to enhance the performance of advanced technological applications, such as data storage, spintronics, and medicine. Here, we report the synthesis and deposition of barium hexaferrite nanoplatelets, followed by comprehensive structural and magnetic microscopies. The topographic, physical, and morphological properties of individual nanoplatelets, clusters, and aggregates are analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron microscopy, while magnetic properties are analysed using magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Relevant size distributions and nanoparticle configurations for magnetic interactions have been experimentally identified and numerically analyzed. For dense nanoparticle arrangements, direct exchange coupling dominates with parallel magnetisation configuration in overlapping particles. In contrast, separated particles exhibit anti-parallel coupling. Detailed micro-magnetic modelling elucidates the length scales over which these two interaction regimes are dominant, paving the way for macroscopic two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) structures with tuned magnetic ordering.