Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Zn-Mn-O, X-Ray Photoemission Surface Study

Room temperature ferromagnetic properties of Zn-Mn-O show evident dependence on manganese concentration and preparation conditions. We systematically studied series of samples with manganese concentration ranging from 0 to 10 at.%, prepared in air at thermal treatment temperatures ranging from 400 to 900°C. The samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, TEM, magnetization measurements and XPS spectroscopy. XPS analyses of surface composition, chemical bonding and XPS depth profiling were successfully employed on powder revealing the chemical composition at the surface of the grains and underneath. The study emphasizes important role of the grain surface in observed room temperature ferromagnetism. It seems that the ferromagnetic phase is correlated with oxygen build up at the surface.