Control of magnetic behavior by Pb1-xMnxS nanocrystals in a glass matrix

Diluted magnetic semiconductor nanocrystals, Pb1-xMnxS (x = 0.003, 0.005, and 0.010), of approximately 6 nm were successfully grown in a glass matrix by a combination of fusion and thermal annealing. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the as-produced nanocrystals (NC), of group IV-VI, are single-phase, nanosized and crystallized in the rock salt structure with replacement of Pb2+-ions by Mn2+-ions. Magnetic force microscopy images also confirmed the high quality of the Pb1-xMnxS NC samples, showing a uniform distribution of total magnetic moments in the nanocrystals. The observation of characteristic hyperfine structures from electron paramagnetic resonance measurements provided evidence for Mn2+ incorporation within the PbS dot structure. Moreover, low temperature magnetization and susceptibility data showed that most of the magnetic ions hosted by the nanocomposite samples are in a paramagnetic state. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3694734]