Magnetic Silicon Nanoparticles

Authors

Priyanka Manchanda, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Pankaj Kumar, IIT Mandi
Balamurugan Balasubramanian, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Pinaki Mukherjee, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Arti Kashyap, IIT MandiFollow
David J. Sellmyer, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Ralph Skomski, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2014

Citation

IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, 2014

Abstract

Prospects for diamond-structured magnetic Si are investigated experimentally, by model calcula-tions, and numerically. Our theoretical analysis, using bond-orbital, Vienna ab-initio simulation pack-age, and SIESTA calculations, suggest that some diamond-Si imperfection may carry a magnetic moment. In particular, for tetrahedral Si₅ clusters, we calculate a magnetic moment of 4 μB per cluster. These moments are more likely to be observed in nanoparticles, as compared with thin films, due to the larger surface-to-volume ratios of the former and to their more versatile atomic surface structure. Experimentally, we have prepared Si nanoparticles by cluster deposition and found a small magnet-ization of 2.9 emu/cm³ at 10 K.