Non-equilibrium magnetic properties of Sm0.43Ca0.57MnO3 nanoparticles

• SCMO nanoparticles (15–60 nm) were prepared by glycine–nitrate method.
• The charge ordering is progressively suppressed with decreasing particle size.
• The dynamic properties of SCMO nanoparticles was studied.
• Super spin glass state in 15 nm particles stems from dipole–dipole interactions.

Non-equilibrium magnetic properties of the near half-doped Sm0.43Ca0.57MnO3 nanoparticles with an average size as small as 15 nm have been investigated by measuring temperature dependence of zero field cooled (ZFC) magnetization, ac-susceptibility, time dependence of ZFC magnetization, relaxation of the remanent magnetization, and memory effects in ZFC magnetization. For the studied particles, charge ordering, characteristic for the bulk, is gradually suppressed with decreasing particle size and fully disappears in 15 nm particles, while the Néel temperature decreases slightly from 73 K for 60 nm to 58 K for 15 nm particles. It was found that dipolar interaction between 15 nm nanoparticles is enough to leads to the formation of a superspin glass state. Characteristic features of superspin glass state, such as aging and memory effects have been observed in 15 nm samples. In a difference to atomic spin glasses, no strong rejuvenation of magnetization has been observed at low temperatures.

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