Energy-Loss Mechanisms of Magnetic Particles at GHz Frequencies

Khattiya Chalapat* and Sorin Paraoanu

Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, P. O. Box 5100, FI-02015 Finland

Jaakko Timonen*, Robin H. A. Ras and Olli Ikkala

Molecular Materials Group, Department of Engineering Physics and Mathematics, Helsinki University of Technology, P. O. Box 5100, FI-02015 Finland

Markku Oksanen*, and Eira Seppala

Nokia Research Center, P. O. Box 407, Nokia Group, FI-00045 Finland

Introduction From the spectra of the complex

refractive index n = n' + in”, we can see
The spectra of the complex
refractive index show that the iron
that the cobalt nanocomposites exhibit nanocomposites have a energy-loss
Recently, there has been an experimental investigation on the microwave
high loss peaked around 12 to 14 GHz. peak around 9 GHz. But at high
magnetic properties of cobalt nanoparticles [1]. It was reported that the
Two graphs on the right show the concentration, there is another
magnetic energy loss, peaked around 7 GHz, cannot be explained in terms of
measured results for three different noticable peak observed also at 12 GHz.
natural magnetic resonance, but tends to be a result of the eddy current
samples of length 2 mm. This length is Comparing the n” spectrum with the e ”
effect.
too short compared to the wavelength spectrum, we can see that the extra
In this study, a further investigation on the energy loss mechanisms of for the composites with 5% peak at 12 GHz could derive from a kind
magnetic nanoparticles at microwave frequency is presented. The purpose is concentration. A longer sample of 4 of dielectric-loss origin.
to provide experimental evidence for which we can use as a step towards a mm, PS/VTT-Co 5% concentration, was
real theoretical explanation on the unusual microwave properties of magnetic also prepared and measured. The
nanocomposites. result is shown with the 2mm PS/VTT- The complex refractive index spectra of
Co 10% and 15 % concentration. the PS/QS-Fe and the PS/VTT-Co
Based on classical electrodynamic models, we describe the interactions
materials with 5 to 15 concentration
between a material and microwave fields in terms of the complex permittivity
percentages show that the energy
e= e'+ ie” and the complex permeability m = m'+ im
” of the material. Applying
loss, observed from the imaginary-part
our new microwave transmission/reflection technique [2], the e and m spectra, do not change linearly with the
spectra of materials being test can be extracted simultaneously. particle concentration. The non-
The materials being test are prepared by randomly embedding magnetic linearity becomes much larger around
nanoparticles in a dielectric matrix. The final composite materials are shaped natural resonant peaks of the
by a pellet mold, in order that the samples can be inserted inside a coaxial air- materials, i.e. 14 GHz for the PS/VTT-
line, used as a sample holder to conduct microwave signals. The Co and 10 GHz for the PS/Qs-Fe.
measurements of the transverse electromagnetic waves are done by a vector
network analyzer.

Magnetic Particles TEM

The magnetic loss in PS/QS-Fe
TEM SQUID XRD materials is found to be peak around 8
GHz, which is corresponding well with
the loss peak around 9 GHz in the
imaginary spectra of the refractive
index. Comparing the magnetic
permeability spectra of VTT-Co and Qs-
Fe materials, we have found that the
maximum losses in VTT-Co are
relatively larger for all values of
concentration. This corresponds well
with the values of the saturation
magnetization measured by a SQUID
magnetometer, which shows that VTT-
VTT-Co
Co exhibit higher saturation
Cobalt and iron nanocomposites are prepared and characterized by magnetization.
transmission electron microscope (TEM), SQUID magnetometer and powder
X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The particle synthesis process is done by firstly The peak around 12 GHz observable in
dissolve polystyrene in toluene and make the nanoparticle colloid with toluene the imaginary spectrum of the
using an ultrasonic homogenizer. Then the two solutions are mixed and left
O
evaporating at 80 C.
magnetic permeability is clearly
corresponding to the energy-loss peak
XRD
in the complex refractive spectrum. We
The average size of both cobalt and iron particle observed by TEM are
can neglect the dielectric loss because
bigger than the one analyzed by XRD. The particle may contain small single-
the imaginary values of the permittivity
crystal core surrounding by amorphous layers. The diameters of the cores are
spectrum are relatively small over the
in the same order of magnitude with the single-domain critical sizes of bulk
whole measurement bandwidth
materials.

The saturation magnetization MSof the cobalt particles are measured by a

SQUID magnetometer. It is found to be higher than that of the iron particles.
XRD
RF Measurement Refractive index Wave impedance

TEM

Propagation factor
The measured permeabilty values
can be used to distinguish the eddy
Reflection coefficient current loss from the other loss
mechanisms. It is believed that if
magnetic loss results only from eddy
current loss, the value of should
be constant when the frequency is varied
Wave impedance
[1], [4]. As seen in the figure on the right,
this parameter decreases in magnitude
as the frequency is increase.

Transmission/Reflection Qs-Fe

Similar to the spectra of the

Reference-plane invariant parameters PS/VTT-Co, this parameter which
The dielectric properties of the cobalt
indicates the eddy current effect does
nanocomposites are relative constant at
vary with frequency. The difference is
this frequency range. The larger variation
that in the case of the PS/VTT-Co, there is
near 18 GHz can be explain in terms of
a frequency band between 5 to 9 GHz, in
the errors of the transmission/reflection
which the value of is nearly
measurement. The Fabry-Perot resonant
constant.
frequencies due to multiple-reflection of
the microwave signal inside the material
The resonance peak near 12 GHz found in
can be calculated from the measured
refractive index. For PS/VTT-cobalt 15% the e ” spectrum of the 15% PS/Qs-Fe
concentration, the resonance occurs at sample cannot be explained in terms of
around 25 GHz. So it is possible that the the errors of the transmission/reflection
deviation near 18 GHz seen in the real method. So it must be explained in terms
and imaginary spectra are the results of of a dielectric loss. But, it should be noted
the errors at and around the Fabry-Perot that there is no similar peak observed in
resonant frequencies. the spectra of materials with lower
particle concentration.

Refractive Index
Multi-valued function

Group delay

Conclusions References Acknowledgements

The complex refractive index, the complex permittivity and the complex
permeability of two types of magnetic nanocomposites are measured at the [1] M. Wu, Y. D. Zhang, S. Hui, T. D. Xiao, S. Ge, W. A. Hines, J. I Budnick and G. W. This work was supported by Thailand Commission on Higher Education and the Academy of
frequencies between 2 to 18 GHz. The XRD analysis shows that the cobalt particles are Taylor, Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 80, No. 23, 2002. Finland (Acad. Res. Fellowship 00857 and Projects 71119944 and 7118122).
in fcc form, while the iron particles are mainly in the bcc structure. Both cobalt and iron
composites exhibit natural resonance peaks within the measured frequency range. The [2] A. M. Nicolson and G. F. Ross, IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., vol. IM-19, pp. 377- Khattiya Chalapat also wishes to express her special thanks to Nanoscience Center, Department of
cobalt material has magnetic loss peaked around 12 GHz, while the iron material has 382,K. Chalapat, K. Sarvala, J. Li, G. S. Paraoanu, IEEE Tran. Microw. Theory Tech., Physics, University of Jyväskylä, to provide good support and facilities when the research was partly
the magnetic resonance at lower frequency (around 8 GHz). At higher concentration of vol. 57, no. 9, pp. 2257-2267, 2009. done.
iron particles, an unusual resonance effect has been observed in the imaginary
spectrum of the permittivity. The complex refractive index spectra of the iron and the
cobalt materials with various concentration percentages show that the energy loss,
observed from the imaginary-part spectra, do not change linearly with the particle
concentration. The non-linearity becomes much larger around natural resonant
frequencies.