Cationic distribution, exchange interactions, and relaxation dynamics in Zn-diluted MnCo2O4 nanostructures

• We report an experimental investigation of the electronic structure and magnetic properties of bulk and nanosized MnCo2O4 diluted with Zn. The cationic distribution for tetrahedral A-site dilution is (Co1-yA2+ZnyA2+)(A)[Mn3+Co3+](B)O-4 +/-delta, whereas B-site dilution results in (Co2+)(A)[Mn1-xB3+ZnxB2+Co3+](B)O4-delta. The strength of exchange interaction J(ij) between the magnetic ions in a bulk spinel lattice decreases by similar to 15% for A-site dilution relative to the undiluted compound; however, B-site dilution results in an enhancement in J(ij) by 17%. The frequency and temperature dependence of dynamic-susceptibility [chi(ac)(f, T)] studies of nanostructured compounds reveals the existence of spin-glass like behavior below the freezing temperature T-F similar to 125.7 K (for x(B) = 0.2) and 154.3 K (y(A) = 0.1). Relaxation time tau follows the Power-Law variation with a dynamical critical exponent zv = 6.17 and microscopic spin relaxation time tau(o) = 4.4 x 10(-15) s for x(B) = 0.2 (for y(A) = 0.1, zv = 5.2 and tau(o) = 5.4 x 10(-13) s). The amplitude and peak position in chi(ac)(T) decreases with an increase in the DC bias field, which indicates that the spin-glass phase can survive in the presence of low fields forming a critical line with an exponent 2/3. This behavior is similar to the de Almeida-Thouless (AT-line) analysis in the T-H phase diagram which supports the existence of spin-glass like behavior below T-F in these Zn diluted spinels. 

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NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

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