By means of muon spin relaxation measurements we unraveled the temperature spin dynamics in monodisperse maghemite spherical nanoparticles with different surface to volume ratio, in two samples with a full core (diameter D∼4 and D∼5nm) and one with a hollow core (external diameter D∼7.4nm). The behavior of the muon longitudinal relaxation rates as a function of temperature allowed us to identify two distinct spin dynamics. The first is well witnessed by the presence of a characteristic peak for all the samples around the so-called muon blocking temperature TBμ+. A Bloembergen-Purcell-Pound (BPP)-like model reproduces the experimental data around the peak and at higher temperatures (20<100K) by assuming the Néel reversal time of the magnetization as the dominating correlation time. An additional dynamic emerges in the samples with higher surface to volume ratio, namely, full 4 nm and hollow samples. This is witnessed by a shoulder of the main peak for T<20K at low longitudinal field (μ0H≈15mT), followed by an abrupt increase of the relaxation rate at T<10K, which is more evident for the hollow sample. These unusual anomalies of the longitudinal relaxation rate for T
Low-temperature anomalies in muon spin relaxation of solid and hollow γ- F e2 O3 nanoparticles: A pathway to detect unusual local spin dynamics
Orlando T.;Bordonali L.;Mariani M.Membro del Collaboration Group
;Lascialfari A.
2020-01-01
Abstract
By means of muon spin relaxation measurements we unraveled the temperature spin dynamics in monodisperse maghemite spherical nanoparticles with different surface to volume ratio, in two samples with a full core (diameter D∼4 and D∼5nm) and one with a hollow core (external diameter D∼7.4nm). The behavior of the muon longitudinal relaxation rates as a function of temperature allowed us to identify two distinct spin dynamics. The first is well witnessed by the presence of a characteristic peak for all the samples around the so-called muon blocking temperature TBμ+. A Bloembergen-Purcell-Pound (BPP)-like model reproduces the experimental data around the peak and at higher temperatures (20<100K) by assuming the Néel reversal time of the magnetization as the dominating correlation time. An additional dynamic emerges in the samples with higher surface to volume ratio, namely, full 4 nm and hollow samples. This is witnessed by a shoulder of the main peak for T<20K at low longitudinal field (μ0H≈15mT), followed by an abrupt increase of the relaxation rate at T<10K, which is more evident for the hollow sample. These unusual anomalies of the longitudinal relaxation rate for TI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.