High‐Pressure Growth and Magnetic and Electrical Properties of EuB₆ Nanowires

Using an iodine‐assisted autoclave technique, europium hexaboride (EuB₆) nanowires are successfully prepared. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) pattern confirms that the obtained black powders are pure‐phase EuB₆ crystals. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected‐area electron diffraction (SAED) images prove that the EuB₆ nanowires are single crystals grown along the [001] direction. From the temperature‐dependent magnetic susceptibility results, EuB₆ shows strong susceptibility at low temperature under 15 K, possessing a magnetic momentum of 6.0 μ_B. An Arrott plot analysis indicates that the Curie temperature T_C of ferromagnetic ordering is about 10.1 K. Moreover, the saturated magnetic moment at 7 T and there being no clear hysteresis in the magnetic hysteresis loops suggest that EuB₆ is a relatively soft ferromagnet. The electron transport measurements of the nanowire devices reveal that EuB₆ nanowires have a lower output current and a higher resistance compared with bulk crystals, and may be useful for the future magnetic devices.