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A series of atomistic finite temperature simulations on a model of an FCC lattice of maghemite nanoparticles using the stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (sLLG) equation are presented. The model exhibits a ferromagnetic transition that is in good agreement with theoretical expectations.The simulations also reveal an orientational disorder in the orientational order parameter for T < 0.5T c due to pinning of the surface domain walls of the nanoparticles by surface vacancies. The extent of the competition between surface pinning and dipolar interactions provides support for the conjecture that recent measurements on systems of FCC superlattices of iron-oxide nanoparticles provide evidence for dipolar ferromagnetism is discussed.

A study of spherical maghemite nanoparticles on a two dimensional triangular array was carried out using a stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (sLLG) approach. The simulation method was first validated with a triangular array of simple dipoles, where results show the expected phase transition to a ferromagnetic state at a finite temperature. The ground state exhibited a continuous degeneracy that was lifted by an order-from-disorder mechanism at infinitesimal temperatures with the appearance of a six-fold planar anisotropy. The nanoparticle array consisted of 7.5 nm diameter maghemite spheres with bulk-like superexchange interactions between Fe-ions in the core, and weaker exchange between surface Fe-ions and a radial anisotropy. The triangular nanoparticle array ordered at the same reduced temperature as the simple dipole array, but exhibited different behaviour at low temperatures due to the surface anisotropy. We find that the vacancies on the octahedral sites in the nanoparticles combine with the surface anisotropy to produce an effective random temperature-dependent anisotropy for each particle. This leads to a reduction in the net magnetization of the nanoparticle array at zero temperature compared to the simple dipole array. arXiv:1904.05515v1 [cond-mat.mes-hall]

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