Crystalline Ni nanoparticles as the origin of ferromagnetism in Ni implanted ZnO crystals
arXiv:cond-mat/0611770 · doi:10.1063/1.2396763
Abstract
We report the structural and magnetic properties of ZnO single crystals implanted at 623 K with up to 10 at. % of Ni. As revealed by X-ray diffraction, crystalline fcc-Ni nanoparticles were formed inside ZnO. The magnetic behavior (magnetization with field reversal and with different temperature protocol) of all samples is well explained by a magnetic Ni-nanoparticle system. Although the formation of Ni:ZnO based diluted magnetic semiconductor cannot be ruled out, the major contribution to the magnetic properties stems from crystalline nanoparticles synthesized under these implantation conditions.
15 pages, 4 figures, to be published at J. Appl. Phys