Direct Observation of Magnetic Metastability in Individual Iron Nanoparticles

X-ray photoemission electron microscopy combined with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism is used to study the magnetic properties of individual iron nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 20 down to 8 nm. While the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of bulk iron suggests superparamagnetic behavior in this...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Balan, Ana, Derlet, Peter M., Fraile Rodríguez, Arantxa, Bansmann, Joachim, Yanes, Rocio, Nowak, Ulrich, Kleibert, Armin, Nolting, Frithjof
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Recursos:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/52823
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/52823
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Ferro
Nanopartícules
Metaestabilitat
Ferromagnetisme
Matèria condensada
Microscòpia electrònica
Iron
Nanoparticles
Metastability
Ferromagnetism
Condensed matter
Electron microscopy
Descrição
Resumo:X-ray photoemission electron microscopy combined with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism is used to study the magnetic properties of individual iron nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 20 down to 8 nm. While the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of bulk iron suggests superparamagnetic behavior in this size range, ferromagnetically blocked particles are also found at all sizes. Spontaneous transitions from the blocked state to the superparamagnetic state are observed in single particles and suggest that the enhanced magnetic energy barriers in the ferromagnetic particles are due to metastable, structurally excited states with unexpected life times