Critical behaviour and magnetic properties of A–B spinel ZnxCu1−xFe2O4

Polycrystalline Zn0.6Cu0.4Fe2O4 ferrites have been prepared using a solid-state reaction technique. Their structural and magnetic properties have been studied, using X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer and magnetic measurements. These results have been compared to a more general theoretical study, on ZnxCu1−xFe2O4, based on mean field theory and high-temperature series expansions (HTSE), and extrapolated with the Padé approximant method. The nearest neighbour super-exchange interactions for the intra-site and the inter-site of ZnxCu1−xFe2O4 spinel ferrites, in the range 0≤x≤10≤x≤1, have been computed using the probability approach, based on Mössbauer data. The Curie temperature TCTC is calculated as a function of Zn concentration. The theoretical results obtained are in good agreement with the experimental results obtained by magnetic measurements.

► Polycrystalline Zn0.6Cu0.4Fe2O4 ferrites have been prepared using the solid-state reaction technique.
► Their structural and magnetic properties have been studied.
► Nearest neighbour interactions in ZnxCu1−xFe2O4, for 0≤x≤10≤x≤1, have been computed.
► The measured Curie temperature, TcTc, is in agreement with the calculated temperature.