Structural, magnetic and charge-related properties of nano-sized cerium manganese oxide, a dilute magnetic oxide semiconductor

Nanoparticles of the magnetic semiconductor cerium manganese oxide (Ce1−xMnxO2) for six different concentrations of Mn (x=0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.1) have been synthesized using a chemical co-precipitation method. The obtained samples were characterized for their structural, morphological, optical, magnetic and charge related properties using powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrograph analysis, UV-visible spectra, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements and charge density analysis. Rietveld technique and maximum entropy method (MEM) were used for the analysis of the electron density distribution in the unit cell for the prepared samples. The magnetic behavior of the samples has been explained through charge ordering which are verified using experimental data obtained using vibrating sample magnetometer. The optical absorption analysis done using UV-vis spectrophotometer reveals the existence of both direct and indirect band gaps. Charge density arrangement in the unit cell is correlated to the analyzed properties.