A study of structural, optical and magnetic properties of Zn0.97−xCuxCr0.03O diluted magnetic semiconductors

▶ The Zn0.97−xCuxCr0.03O (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.03) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by sol-gel method. ▶ The Cr and Cu ions are at least partially substitutionally incorporated into the crystal lattice of ZnO with Cu doping concentration up to 2 at%. ▶ The room-temperature ferromagnetism of Zn0.97−xCuxCr0.03O was intrinsic property when Cu concentration lack 0.02. And the saturation magnetization of Zn0.97−xCuxCr0.03O (x = 0.01, 0.02) increased with the increase of the Cu concentration. ▶ The Zn0.97−xCuxCr0.03O powders with the Cu concentration varied from 0.01 to 0.02 exhibited obvious blue shift and the intensity of ultraviolet (UV) emission band was sharply suppressed, the green emission peak could be effectively enhanced with the increase of the Cu concentration.