Zn-doping effect on the energy barrier to magnetization reversal in superparamagnetic nickel ferrite nanoparticles

Measurements of ac-susceptibility and dc-magnetization were carried out on samples of Ni1-xZnxFe2O4 nanoparticles (x=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) with average diameters 〈D〉≈7 nm. Values of the superparamagnetic blocking temperature TB were obtained from the characteristic temperature behavior of the imaginary susceptibility χimag. An Arrhenius-type law, which accurately describes the relationship between the observation time τobs and the blocking temperature, was used to determine the effective energy barrier to magnetization reversal Ueff. A Zn-content dependence of the energy barrier is observed, where Ueff changes little for 0≤x≤0.25, it peaks at x=0.5, and decreases back upon further Zn-doping. The large increase of Ueff at x=0.5 is attributed to an enhanced magnetic anisotropy induced by the crossover between two spatial arrangements of spins in the A and B sub-lattices of the ferrimagnetic inverse spinel.