Magnetic phase transition of nanocrystalline Fe-doped samarium oxide (Sm1.90Fe0.10O3)

• Magnetic property and Raman spectra of Sm1.9Fe0.1O3 were studied.
• Rietveld analysis and Raman spectra confirmed the formation of desired phase.
• Paramagnetic to Ferromagnetic transition was observed at ~30 K.
• High value of maximum magnetization was obtained at 2 K.
• Observed Ferromagnetism was explained by dipole–dipole interaction.

Nanocrystalline Fe3+ doped samarium oxide (Sm1.90Fe0.10O3) has been prepared by the co-precipitation method. The as prepared sample has been annealed at 700 °C for 6 h in an argon atmosphere. The pure crystallographic phase as well as the substitution of Fe3+ ions in the lattice of Sm2O3 is confirmed by Rietveld analysis of the X-ray diffraction patterns. The variation of magnetic susceptibility (χ) with temperature (T) is recorded by a Faraday Magnetometer in the temperature range of 300–14 K. The variation of χ vs. T down to ~50 K was successfully fitted by the Curie–Weiss law and below this temperature, susceptibility increases very rapidly, which suggests the presence of ordering at low temperature. To explore this, magnetic measurements are also carried out at different temperatures down to 2 K by using a SQUID Magnetometer. No hysteretic behavior is observed down to 50 K, but a feeble ferromagnetic behavior is observed in the magnetization vs. field curve recorded at ~30 K. A clear hysteresis loop is observed at 2 K with a comparatively high value of maximum magnetization (~3.32 emu/gm). The observed magnetic phase transition is analyzed by using the dipole–dipole interaction among the magnetic nanoparticles at low temperature.