Vacancy mediated room temperature ferromagnetism in Co-doped Dy2O3

Nanoparticles of Co doped dysprosium oxide [Dy1.90Co0.10O3] were prepared by co-precipitating the precursor salts in presence of air and argon gas. Crystallographic phase and substitution of Co-ion in Dy2O3 were confirmed by Rietveld analysis of the x-ray diffraction patterns. Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization as a function of temperature and magnetic field were measured by Faraday and Superconducting quantum inteference device (SQUID) magnetometers, which showed that the sample synthesized in the inert atmosphere is ferromagnetic at room temperature. But no such effect has been observed in the other sample. This observation confirmed that vacancy mediated ferromagnetism can be introduced in the Co-doped dysprosium oxide. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4729386]