Structural, magnetic and dielectric properties of Terbium substituted nanosized Nickel-Ferrites from a New Perspective

Abstract

The current research focuses on the synthesis of nickel spinel ferrite nanoparticles doped with rare earth elements via green synthesis-assisted sol-gel auto combustion method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectra were carried to examine the development of phase, morphology, and crystal structure. Structural parameters, cation distribution, and lattice strain were determined through Rietveld analysis and Williamson-Hall (W-H) plots. Using the G-Fourier technique, the electron density mapping of Nickel nano-ferrites replaced with rare earth (Tb) elements was computed. Nickel-ferrites' room-temperature hysteresis curve was measured using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The insignificant hysteresis curve with small coercivity value and retentivity seen demonstrates the soft behavior. A thorough discussion was held regarding the impact of substituting non-magnetic ions on the coercivity, permeability, magnetic interaction constant, and Curie temperature of the synthesized ferrite. When terbium is added, the samples' saturation magnetization lowers because of spin canting phenomena and a decrease in particle size, which results in a decreased surface-to-volume ratio. Nanocrystalline ferrites replaced with rare earth elements have numerous advanced technical applications, including high-frequency devices and switching devices.