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The paper investigates the magnetic behavior of chromium doped SnO2 Dilute Magnetic Semiconductor (DMS) nanoparticles, through structural, spectroscopic, and magnetic studies. A non-equilibrium solution combustion method is adopted to synthesize 0–5 at. % Cr doped SnO2 nanoparticles. The detailed spectroscopic studies on the system using micro-Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy along with the structural analysis confirm the presence of Cr in 3+ oxidation state, which substitutes at Sn4+ site in SnO6 octahedra of the rutile structure. This doping is found to enhance the defects in the system, i.e., oxygen vacancies. All the synthesized SnO2 nanoparticles (with or without dopants) are found to exhibit Room Temperature Ferromagnetism (RTFM). This occurrence of RTFM is attributed to the magnetic exchange interaction through F-centers of oxygen vacancies as well as dopant magnetic impurities and explained through the Bound Magnetic Polaron (BMP) model of DMS systems. Nonetheless, as the doping of Cr is further increased beyond 2%, the solubility limit is achieved. This antiferromagnetic exchange interaction from interstitial Cr dopants dominates over the BMP mechanism and, hence, leads to the decrease in the net magnetic moment drastically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study and compare magnetic and electron paramagnetic resonance behaviors of bulk and nanoparticles of Nd1-xCaxMnO3 in hole doped (x=0.4;NCMOH) and electron doped (x=0.6;NCMOE) samples. NCMOH in bulk form shows a complex temperature dependence of magnetization M(T), with a charge ordering transition at ∼250 K, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at ∼150 K, and a transition to a canted AFM phase/mixed phase at ∼80 K. Bulk NCMOE behaves quite differently with just a charge ordering transition at ∼280 K, thus providing a striking example of the so called electron-hole asymmetry. While our magnetization data on bulk samples are consistent with the earlier reports, the new results on the nanoparticles bring out drastic effects of size reduction. They show that M(T) behaviors of the two nanosamples are essentially similar in addition to the absence of the charge order in them thus providing strong evidence for vanishing of the electron-hole asymmetry in nanomanganites. This conclusion is further corroborated by electron paramagnetic resonance studies which show that the large difference in the "g" values and their temperature dependences found for the two bulk samples disappears as they approach a common behavior in the corresponding nanosamples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the effect of size reduction to nanoscale on the hole doped Sm0.65Ca0.35MnO3 compound, dc magnetic measurements and electron magnetic resonance (EMR) were done on bulk and nanoparticle samples in the temperature range 10⩽T⩽300 K. Magnetization measurement showed that the bulk sample undergoes a charge ordering transition at 240K and shows a mixed magnetic phase at low temperature. However, the nanosample underwent a ferromagnetic transition at 75 K, and the charge ordered state was destabilized on size reduction down to nanoscale. The low-temperature ferromagnetic component is found to be enhanced in nanoparticles as compared to their bulk counterpart. Interestingly around room temperature, bulk particles show higher magnetization where as at low temperature nanoparticles show higher magnetization. Ferromagnetism in the bulk is due to super exchange where as ferromagnetism in nanoparticles is due to uncompensated spins of the surface layer. Temperature variation of EMR parameters correlates well with the results of magnetic measurements. The magnetic behaviour of the nanoparticles is understood in terms of the core shell scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of annealing on structural defects and d0 ferromagnetism in SnO2 nanoparticles prepared by solution combustion method is investigated. The as-synthesized SnO2 nanoparticles were annealed at 400-800 °C for 2 h, in ambient conditions. The crystallinity, size, and morphology of the samples were studied using x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies. The annealing results in grain growth due to coarsening as well as reduction in oxygen vacancies as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. All the as synthesized and annealed samples exhibit room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) with distinct hysteresis loops and the saturation magnetization as high as ∼0.02 emu/g in as-synthesized samples. However, the saturation magnetization is drastically reduced with increasing annealing temperature. Further the presence of singly charged oxygen vacancies (Vo- signal at g-value 1.99) is confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance studies, which also diminish with increasing annealing temperature. The observed diminishing RTFM and simultaneous evidences of diminishing O vacancies clearly indicate that RTFM is driven by defects in oxide lattice and confirms primary role of oxygen vacancies in inducing ferromagnetic ordering in metal oxide semiconductors. The study also provides improved fundamental understanding regarding the ambiguity in the origin of intrinsic RTFM in semiconducting metal oxides and projects their technological application in the field of spintronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic measurements pertinent to the magnetocaloric effect and nature of magnetic transition around the transition temperature are performed in the 10 nm Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3 nanoparticles (PCMO10). Maxwell's relation is employed to estimate the change in magnetic entropy. At Curie temperature (TC) ∼ 83.5 K, the change in magnetic entropy (-ΔSM) discloses a typical variation with a value 0.57 J/kg K, and is found to be magnetic field dependent. From the area under the curve (ΔS vs T), the refrigeration capacity is calculated at TC ∼ 83.5 K and it is found to be 7.01 J/kg. Arrott plots infer that due to the competition between the ferromagnetic and anti-ferromagnetic interactions, the magnetic phase transition in PCMO10 is broadly spread over both in temperature as well as magnetic field coordinates. Upon tuning the particle size, size distribution, morphology, and relative fraction of magnetic phases, it may be possible to enhance the magnetocalorific effect further in PCMO10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the results of magnetization and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies on nanoparticles (average diameter ∼ 30 nm) of Bi0.25Ca0.75MnO3 (BCMO) and compare them with the results on bulk BCMO. The nanoparticles were prepared using the nonaqueous sol-gel technique and characterized by XRD and TEM analysis. Magnetization measurements were carried out with a commercial physical property measurement system (PPMS). While the bulk BCMO exhibits a charge ordering transition at ∼230 K and an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at ∼130 K, in the nanoparticles, the CO phase is seen to have disappeared and a transition to a ferromagnetic (FM) state is observed at Tc ∼ 120 K. However, interestingly, the exchange bias effect observed in other nanomanganite ferromagnets is absent in BCMO nanoparticles. EPR measurements were carried out in the X-band between 8 and 300 K. Lineshape fitting to a Lorentzian with two terms (accounting for both the clockwise and anticlockwise rotations of the microwave field) was employed to obtain the relevant EPR parameters as functions of temperature. The results confirm the occurrence of ferromagnetism in the nanoparticles of BCMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the X-band (∼9.43 GHz) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigations carried out on polycrystalline Ga1-xMnxSb (x=0.02). A strong EPR signal with an effective g factor (geff) close to 2.00 was observed, suggesting that the ionic state of Mn which replaces Ga ion in the lattice, is Mn2+ attributable to ΔM=1 transition of the ionized Mn acceptor A-, Mn(3d5). The apparent absence of EPR signal, typical for neutral Mn acceptor at g=2.7 suggests either no such centers are present or the signal broadens beyond detection limit. The temperature dependent EPR studies combined with dc magnetization data suggest the possible coexistence of antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic phases at very low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies and magnetic measurements were carried out on single crystals of multiferroic DyMnO3 in hexagonal as well as orthorhombic structures. The interesting effect of strontium dilution on the frustrated antiferromagnetism of DyMnO3 is also probed using EPR. The line shapes are fitted to broad Lorentzian in the case of pure DyMnO3 and to modified Dysonian in the case of Dy0.5Sr0.5MnO3. The linewidth, integrated intensity, and geff derived from the signals are analyzed as a function of temperature. The results of magnetization measurements corroborate with EPR results. Our study clearly reveals the signature of frustrated magnetism in pure DyMnO3 systems. It is found that antiferromagnetic correlations in these systems persist even above the transition. Moreover, a spin-glass-like behavior in Dy0.5Sr0.5MnO3 is indicated by a steplike feature in the EPR signals at low fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origins of ac losses in the high Tc superconductors are not addressed adequately in the literature. We found out that frequent Josephson junction (JJ) decoupling (both intergranular and interlayer) due to the flow of ac is one of the main origins of the ac losses in high Tc superconductors. We have determined the ac losses in superconductors in the rf range by measuring the absolute value of nonresonant rf power absorbed by the samples. Our data show that under certain conditions when both the number density of JJs present in the sample and the JJ critical current cross a threshold value, ac losses in the superconducting state keep on increasing with decreasing temperature below Tc. The underlying mechanism is an interesting interplay of JJ coupling energy and the amplitude of rf voltage applied to the sample. The effects of an applied magnetic field, variation of rf, and temperature were studied in detail. To find out the exact relation among the JJ coupling energy, JJ number density, applied ac frequency, the amplitude of ac, and the ac losses in superconductors, we have studied samples with different crystalline properties, different grain sizes, pressurized at different pressures, and sintered under different physical and chemical conditions. These results have important implications for the understanding of the origin of ac losses and the characterization of superconducting samples. In this paper we also extend the capability of the ac loss studies in superconductors for the characterization of materials for device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which investigated the field-dependent nonresonant absorption at microwave and radio frequencies in the superconducting state of YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7--x] pellets and epitaxially grown c-axis oriented thin films. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion; Conclusions.

We present a comparative study of the temperature dependent magnetic properties and electron paramagnetic resonance parameters of nano and bulk samples of Bi0.2Sr0.8MnO3 (BSMO). Bulk BSMO is known to have a high TN~260K and robust charge ordering (TCO~360 K). We confirm that the bulk sample shows an antiferromagnetic transition around ~260K and a spin-glass transition ~40 K. For the nano sample, we see a clear ferromagnetic transition at around ~120 K. We conclude that spin glass state, which is present due to the co-existence of antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic states in the bulk sample, is suppressed in the nano sample and ferromagnetism is induced instead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a comparative study of the temperature dependent magnetic properties and electron paramagnetic resonance parameters of nano and bulk samples of Bi0.2Sr0.8MnO3 (BSMO). Bulk BSMO is known to have a high TN~260K and robust charge ordering (TCO~360 K). We confirm that the bulk sample shows an antiferromagnetic transition around ~260K and a spin-glass transition ~40 K. For the nano sample, we see a clear ferromagnetic transition at around ~120 K. We conclude that spin glass state, which is present due to the co-existence of antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic states in the bulk sample, is suppressed in the nano sample and ferromagnetism is induced instead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies and magnetic measurements were carried out on single crystals of multiferroic DyMnO3 in hexagonal as well as orthorhombic structures. The interesting effect of strontium dilution on the frustrated antiferromagnetism of DyMnO3 is also probed using EPR. The line shapes are fitted to broad Lorentzian in the case of pure DyMnO3 and to modified Dysonian in the case of Dy0.5Sr0.5MnO3. The linewidth, integrated intensity, and geff derived from the signals are analyzed as a function of temperature. The results of magnetization measurements corroborate with EPR results. Our study clearly reveals the signature of frustrated magnetism in pure DyMnO3 systems. It is found that antiferromagnetic correlations in these systems persist even above the transition. Moreover, a spin-glass-like behavior in Dy0.5Sr0.5MnO3 is indicated by a steplike feature in the EPR signals at low fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]