Manipulating the magnetic structure of Co core/CoO shell nanoparticles: implications for controlling the exchange bias
We present an experimental study of the effects of oxidation on the magnetic and crystal structures of exchange biased epsilon-Co/CoO core-shell nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy measurements reveal that oxidation creates a Co-CoO interface which is highly directional and epitaxial in...
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Published in | Physical review letters Vol. 101; no. 11; p. 117202 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
12.09.2008
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Online Access | Get more information |
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Summary: | We present an experimental study of the effects of oxidation on the magnetic and crystal structures of exchange biased epsilon-Co/CoO core-shell nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy measurements reveal that oxidation creates a Co-CoO interface which is highly directional and epitaxial in quality. Neutron diffraction measurements find that below a Néel temperature TN of approximately 235 K the magnetization of the CoO shell is modulated by two wave vectors, q1=(1/2 1/2 1/2)2pi/a and q2=(100)2pi/a. Oxidation affects the q1 component of the magnetization very little, but hugely enhances the q2 component, resulting in the magnetic decompensation of the core-shell interface. We propose that the large exchange bias effect results from the highly ordered interface between the Co core and CoO shell, and from enhanced core-shell coupling by the uncompensated interface moment. |
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ISSN: | 0031-9007 |
DOI: | 10.1103/physrevlett.101.117202 |