Direct Observation of Magnetic Metastability in Individual Iron Nanoparticles

作者:Balan Ana; Derlet Peter M; Fraile Rodriguez Arantxa; Bansmann Joachim; Yanes Rocio; Nowak Ulrich; Kleibert Armin*; Nolting Frithjof
来源:Physical Review Letters, 2014, 112(10): 107201.
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.107201

摘要

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.

  • 出版日期2014-3-10