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Dense systems of magnetic nanoparticles may exhibit dipolar collective behavior. However, two fundamental questions remain unsolved: i) whether the transition temperature may be affected by the particle anisotropy or it is essentially determined by the intensity of the interparticle dipolar interactions, and ii) what is the minimum ratio of dipole-dipole interaction (E-dd) to nanoparticle anisotropy (KefV, anisotropy.volume) energies necessary to crossover from individual to collective behavior. A series of particle assemblies with similarly intense dipolar interactions but widely varying anisotropy is studied. The K-ef is tuned through different degrees of cobalt-doping in maghemite nanoparticles, resulting in a variation of nearly an order of magnitude. All the bare particle compacts display collective behavior, except the one made with the highest anisotropy particles, which presents "marginal" features. Thus, a threshold of KefV/E-dd approximate to 130 to suppress collective behavior is derived, in good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations. This translates into a crossover value of approximate to 1.7 for the easily accessible parameter T-MAX(interacting)/T-MAX(non-interacting) (ratio of the peak temperatures of the zero-field-cooled magnetization curves of interacting and dilute particle systems), which is successfully tested against the literature to predict the individual-like/collective behavior of any given interacting particle assembly comprising relatively uniform particles.

The emerging stretchable photonics field faces challenges, like the robust integration of optical elements into elastic matrices or the generation of large optomechanical effects. Here, the first stretchable plasmonic-enhanced and wrinkled Fabry-Perot (FP) cavities are demonstrated, which are composed of self-embedded arrays of Au nanostructures at controlled depths into elastomer films. The novel self-embedding process is triggered by the Au nanostructures catalytic activity, which locally increases the polymer curing rate, thereby inducing a mechanical stress that simultaneously pulls the Au nanostructures into the polymer and forms a wrinkled skin layer. This geometry yields unprecedented optomechanical effects produced by the coupling of the broad plasmonic modes of the Au nanostructures and the FP modes, which are modulated by the wrinkled optical cavity. As a result, film stretching induces drastic changes in both the spectral position and intensity of the plasmonic-enhanced FP resonances due to the simultaneous cavity thickness reduction and cavity wrinkle flattening, thus increasing the cavity finesse. These optomechanical effects are exploited to demonstrate new strain-sensing approaches, achieving a strain detection limit of 0.006%, i.e., 16-fold lower than current optical strain-detection schemes., Funding Agencies: Ramon y Cajal Fellowship Spanish Government [RyC2013-14479, MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033]; Generalitat de Catalunya General Electric [2017-SGR-292]; CERCA programme/Generalitat de Catalunya; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SFF) grant [FFL15-0026, RMX18-0039]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linköping University (Faculty Grant SFO-Mat-LiU) [2009-00971]; [MAT201677391-R]; [PID2019-106229RB-I00]; [PCIN2016-093]; [DPI201568197-R]; [DPI2015-72948-EXP]; [SEV-20170706]

Applications based on aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles are becoming increasingly widespread, ranging from hyperthermia to magnetic recording. However, although some uses require collective behavior, others need a more individual-like response, the conditions leading to either of these behaviors are still poorly understood. Here, we use nanoscale-uniform binary random dense mixtures with different proportions of oxide magnetic nanoparticles with low/high anisotropy as a valuable tool to explore the crossover from individual to collective behavior. Two different anisotropy scenarios have been studied in two series of binary compacts: M1, comprising maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) nanoparticles of different sizes (9.0 nm/11.5 nm) with barely a factor of 2 between their anisotropy energies, and M2, mixing equally sized pure maghemite (low-anisotropy) and Co-doped maghemite (high-anisotropy) nanoparticles with a large difference in anisotropy energy (ratio > 8). Interestingly, while the M1 series exhibits collective behavior typical of strongly coupled dipolar systems, the M2 series presents a more complex scenario where different magnetic properties resemble either "individual-like" or "collective", crucially emphasizing that the collective character must be ascribed to specific properties and not to the system as a whole. The strong differences between the two series offer new insight (systematically ratified by simulations) into the subtle interplay between dipolar interactions, local anisotropy and sample heterogeneity to determine the behavior of dense assemblies of magnetic nanoparticles.

Decades of overexploitation have devastated shark populations, leaving considerable doubt as to their ecological status1,2. Yet much of what is known about sharks has been inferred from catch records in industrial fisheries, whereas far less information is available about sharks that live in coastal habitats3. Here we address this knowledge gap using data from more than 15,000 standardized baited remote underwater video stations that were deployed on 371 reefs in 58 nations to estimate the conservation status of reef sharks globally. Our results reveal the profound impact that fishing has had on reef shark populations: we observed no sharks on almost 20% of the surveyed reefs. Reef sharks were almost completely absent from reefs in several nations, and shark depletion was strongly related to socio-economic conditions such as the size and proximity of the nearest market, poor governance and the density of the human population. However, opportunities for the conservation of reef sharks remain: shark sanctuaries, closed areas, catch limits and an absence of gillnets and longlines were associated with a substantially higher relative abundance of reef sharks. These results reveal several policy pathways for the restoration and management of reef shark populations, from direct top-down management of fishing to indirect improvement of governance conditions. Reef shark populations will only have a high chance of recovery by engaging key socio-economic aspects of tropical fisheries.

The physicochemical properties used in numerous advanced nanostructured devices are directly controlled by the oxidation states of their constituents. In this work we combine electron energy-loss spectroscopy, blind source separation, and computed tomography to reconstruct in three dimensions the distribution of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions in a FeO/Fe3O4 core/shell cube-shaped nanoparticle with nanometric resolution. The results highlight the sharpness of the interface between both oxides and provide an average shell thickness, core volume, and average cube edge length measurements in agreement with the magnetic characterization of the sample.

The exchange bias properties of Co/CoO coaxial core/shell nanowires were investigated with cooling and applied fields perpendicular to the wire axis. This configuration leads to unexpected exchange-bias effects. First, the magnetization value at high fields is found to depend on the field-cooling conditions. This effect arises from the competition between the magnetic anisotropy and the Zeeman energies for cooling fields perpendicular to the wire axis. This allows imprinting predefined magnetization states to the antiferromagnetic (AFM) shell, as corroborated by micromagnetic simulations. Second, the system exhibits a high-field magnetic irreversibility, leading to open hysteresis loops attributed to the AFM easy axis reorientation during the reversal (effect similar to athermal training). A distinct way to manipulate the high-field magnetization in exchange-biased systems, beyond the archetypical effects, was thus experimentally and theoretically demonstrated.

The intimate relationship between stoichiometry and physicochemical properties in transition-metal oxides makes them appealing as tunable materials. These features become exacerbated when dealing with nanostructures. However, due to the complexity of nanoscale materials, establishing a distinct relationship between structure-morphology and functionalities is often complicated. In this regard, in the FexO/Fe3O4 system a largely unexplained broad dispersion of magnetic properties has been observed. Here we show, thanks to a comprehensive multi-technique approach, a clear correlation between the magneto-structural properties in large (45 nm) and small (9 nm) FexO/Fe3O4 core/shell nanoparticles that can explain the spread of magnetic behaviors. The results reveal that while the FexO core in the large nanoparticles is antiferromagnetic and has bulk-like stoichiometry and unit-cell parameters, the FexO core in the small particles is highly non-stoichiometric and strained, displaying no significant antiferromagnetism. These results highlight the importance of ample characterization to fully understand the properties of nanostructured metal oxides., AuthorCount:22

The applications of exchange coupled bi-magnetic hard/soft and soft/hard ferromagnetic core/shell nanoparticles are reviewed. After a brief description of the main synthesis approaches and the core/shell structural morphological characterization, the basic static and dynamic magnetic properties are presented. Five different types of prospective applications, based on diverse patents and research articles, are described: permanent magnets, recording media, microwave absorption, biomedical applications and other applications. Both the advantages of the core/shell morphology and some of the remaining challenges are discussed., AuthorCount:5

We explore the influence of the phase of localized plasmon resonances on the magneto-optical activity of nanoferromagnets. We demonstrate that these systems can be described as two orthogonal damped oscillators coupled by the spin-orbit interaction. We prove that only the spin-orbit induced transverse plasmon plays an active role on the magneto-optical properties by controlling the relative amplitude and phase lag between the two oscillators. Our theoretical predictions are fully confirmed by magneto-optical Kerr effect and optical extinction measurements in nanostructures of different size and shape., QC 20131127

An approach to compute the polarizability tensor of magnetic nanoparticles having general ellipsoidal shape is presented. We find a surprisingly excellent quantitative agreement between calculated and experimental magneto-optical spectra measured in the polar Kerr configuration from nickel nanodisks of large size (exceeding 100 nm) with circular and elliptical shape. In spite of its approximations and simplicity, the formalism presented here captures the essential physics of the interplay between magneto-optical activity and the plasmonic resonance of the individual particle. The results highlight the key role of the dynamic depolarization effects to account for the magneto-optical properties of plasmonic nanostructures., QC 20130603

Here it is demonstrated that multiple-energy, anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering (ASAXS) provides significant enhancement in sensitivity to internal material boundaries of layered nanoparticles compared with the traditional modeling of a single scattering energy, even for cases in which high scattering contrast naturally exists. Specifically, the material-specific structure of monodispersed Fe3O4 vertical bar gamma-Mn2O3 core vertical bar shell nanoparticles is determined, and the contribution of each component to the total scattering profile is identified with unprecedented clarity. We show that Fe3O4 vertical bar gamma-Mn2O3 core vertical bar shell nanoparticles with a diameter of 8.2 +/- 0.2 nm consist of a core with a composition near Fe3O4 surrounded by a (MnxFe1-x)(3)O-4 shell with a graded composition, ranging from x approximate to 0.40 at the Inner shell toward x approximate to 0.46 at the surface. Evaluation of the scattering contribution arising from the interference between material-specific layers additionally reveals the presence of Fe3O4 cores without a coating shell. Finally, it is found that the material-specific scattering profile shapes and chemical compositions extracted by this method are independent of the original input chemical compositions used in the analysis, revealing multiple-energy ASAXS as a powerful tool for determining internal nanostructured morphology even if the exact composition of the individual layers is not known a priori., AuthorCount:13

The fundamental optical properties of pure nickel nanostructures are studied by far-field extinction spectroscopy and optical near-field microscopy, providing direct experimental evidence of the existence of particle plasmon resonances predicted by theory. Experimental and calculated near-field maps allow for unambiguous identification of dipolar plasmon modes. By comparing calculated near-field and far-field spectra, dramatic shifts are found between the near-field and far-field plasmon resonances, which are much stronger than in gold nanoantennas. Based on a simple damped harmonic oscillator model to describe plasmonic resonances, it is possible to explain these shifts as due to plasmon damping., QC 20110927

Field-dependent polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR) and magnetometry are employed to study the magnetic properties of compositionally uniform and graded FePtCu films as a function of annealing temperature (T(A)). The PNR results are able to directly probe the compositional and anisotropy variations through the film thickness. Further details about how the reversal mechanisms evolve are then elucidated by using a first-order reversal curve technique. The reversal of the graded sample annealed at 300 degrees C occurs by an initial rapid switching of the dominant soft A1 phase toward the surface of the film, followed by the gradual reversal of the residual hard phase components toward the bottom. This indicates that the anisotropy gradient is not well established at this low T(A). A fundamentally different mechanism is found after annealing at 400 degrees C, where the rapid switching of the entire film is preceded by a gradual reversal of the soft layers. This suggests that the anisotropy gradient has become better established through the film thickness. The field-dependent PNR measurements confirm the existence of an anisotropy gradient, where the lower (higher) anisotropy portions are now toward the bottom (top) of the film because of the Cu compositional gradient. However, after annealing at 500 degrees C, a single rapid reversal is found, indicating the formation of a uniform hard film. In this case, PNR demonstrates a more uniform magnetic depth profile that is consistent with a uniform reference sample, suggesting significant interdiffusion of the Cu is degrading the compositional and induced anisotropy gradient at this elevated T(A).

Magnetic multilayered, onion-like, hetero-structured nanoparticles are interesting model systems for studying magnetic exchange coupling phenomena. In this work, we synthesized heterostructured magnetic nanopartides composed of two, three, or four components using iron oxide seeds for the subsequent deposition of manganese oxide. The MnO layer was allowed either to passivate fully in air to form an outer layer of Mn(3)O(4) or to oxidize partially to form MnO vertical bar Mn(3)O(4) double layers. Through control of the degree of passivation of the seeds, particles with up to four different magnetic layers can be obtained (i.e., FeO vertical bar Fe(3)O(4)vertical bar MnO vertical bar Mn(3)O(4)). Magnetic characterization of the samples confirmed the presence of the different magnetic layers., authorCount :9

We demonstrate pseudo spin valves (PSVs) with a (112)-textured D022 Mn2.3-2.4Ga (MnGa) tilted magnetization fixed layer and an in-plane CoFe free layer. Single D022 MnGa films exhibit a small magnetoresistance (MR) typically observed in metals. In MnGa/Cu/CoFe PSVs, a transition from a negative (-0.08%) to positive (3.88%) MR is realized by introducing a thin spin polarizing CoFe insertion layer at the MnGa/Cu interface and tailoring the MnGa thickness. Finally, the exchange coupling between the MnGa and CoFe insertion layer is studied using a first-order reversal curve technique., QC 20140908

The coupling between hard FePt/CoFe and soft CoFe/NiFe layers through a Cu spacer has been studied in L1(0) (111) FePt(20)/CoFe(1.5)/Cu(3.5or4.5)/CoFe(2)/NiFe(3) (in nm) pseudo spin valves. The soft layer hysteresis loops exhibit clear shifts in the field axis (exchange bias-like) and a marked coercivity enhancement. The thickness of the Cu layer or the interface roughness influence the exchange bias properties of the systems. This interlayer coupling arises from the competition between dipolar and RKKY interactions between the layers.

The magnetic properties of bimagnetic core/shell nanoparticles consisting of an antiferromagnetic MnO core and a ferrimagnetic passivation shell have been investigated. It is found that the phase of the passivation shell (gamma-Mn2O3 or Mn3O4) depends on the size of the nanoparticles. Structural and magnetic characterizations concur that while the smallest nanoparticles have a predominantly gamma-Mn2O3 shell, larger ones have increasing amounts of Mn3O4. A considerable enhancement of the Neel temperature, T-N, and the magnetic anisotropy of the MnO core for decreasing core sizes has been observed. The size reduction also leads to other phenomena such as persistent magnetic moment in MnO up to high temperatures and an unusual temperature behavior of the magnetic domains.

The influence of the post-synthesis adsorption of Co(II) ions on the structural and magnetic properties of maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) nanoparticles with a mean particle size of about 10 nm has been investigated. It is shown that the step-wise adsorption of Co( II) can controllably increase the blocking temperature, T-B, of the system up to 60 K with respect to that of untreated particles, while neither the particle size nor the particle size distribution are significantly modified. This is accompanied by a four-fold increase in the coercivity, H-C, at low temperatures. Using a selective leaching of the previously adsorbed Co(II) ions the T-B and H-C values of the pristine gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles are recovered. Hence, a reversible and controllable tailoring of the magnetic properties (e.g., T-B and H-C) of the gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles can be achieved by a simple adsorption and desorption process of Co( II) ions after their synthesis., QC 20100525