Room-temperature ferromagnetism in Co doped La2O3

Abstract

Single-phase La2(1−x)Co2xO3−δ polycrystalline samples with x=0%–8% were synthesized by the conventional ceramic method, and the effect of Co content on the magnetic behaviors has been systemically investigated. X-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies indicate no Co metal clusters or secondary magnetic phases in any samples in this study. It is found that the undoped or slightly doped samples show no ferromagnetic signal, while samples with x in the range of 0.5%–2% exhibit an exponential increase of saturation magnetization (Ms) as a function of Co concentration. When x increases beyond 2%, an inverse correlation between the magnetization and Co content was observed. We reported an Ms as large as 0.05emu∕g and a Curie temperature above RT in our samples, rendering Co:La2O3 a candidate diluted magnetic oxide for RT applications. Our results also strongly support the oxygen vacancy (F-center) mediated mechanism for RT ferromagnetism in transition-metal doped high-k oxides