Tunable Magnetic Ordering through Cation Selection in Entropic Spinel Oxides

Published

October 21, 2019

Author(s)

Brianna Musico, Quinton Wright, T. Zac Ward, Alexander Grutter, Elke Arenholz, Dustin Gilbert, David Mandrus, Veerle Keppens

Abstract

Twelve multicomponent spinels, comprised of (Mg, Cr, Mn, Co, Fe, Ni, Cu, and/or Zn)(Cr, Fe or Al)₂O₄, were prepared using solid state synthesis methods, resulting in nine homogenous, single phase samples with a Fm-3m structure, and three samples with multiple phases. Using DC magnetometry in conjunction with X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the effects of multicomponent materiel design on the structural, magnetic, and chemical properties are explored. The ferritic spinel High Entropy Oxide (HEO) samples show high temperature ferrimagnetic transitions and both ferritic and chromium-based HEO spinel samples show evidence of low temperature antiferromagnetic ordering. Blocking temperatures are evident in some samples under zero-field-cooled process in many of the samples. Constituent valence states and temperature dependent valence is described for the example case of (Mg_0.2Fe_0.2Co_0.2Ni_0.2Cu_0.2)Cr₂O₄, including the unexpected presence of Cr⁴⁺, indicating a 2-4 type spinel configuration. Some of these compositions are synthesized for the first time and this work provides an investigation into the magnetic properties of the novel class of cubic spinel multi-component oxides showing interesting behavior that warrants further investigation.

Citation

Physical Review Materials

Volume

3

Issue

10

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

Spinel, oxide, high entropy alloy, magnetism

Citation

Musico, B. , Wright, Q. , Ward, T. , Grutter, A. , Arenholz, E. , Gilbert, D. , Mandrus, D. and Keppens, V. (2019), Tunable Magnetic Ordering through Cation Selection in Entropic Spinel Oxides, Physical Review Materials, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=928324 (Accessed April 20, 2024)