Abstract:
Nanocrystals of nickel doped zinc oxide with the composition Zn(1-x)Ni(x)O (x=0.05,0.15,0.2) were successfully synthesized using auto combustion technique. X ray data revealed that the samples had crystallized in the hexagonal wurtzite phase. The average particle size was in the range of 30nm to 43 nm. Room temperature ferromagnetism is observed in samples with 15 percent and 20 percent nickel concentration making the samples good contenders for application in spintronics. The samples exhibited n type behaviour with probable ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition at temperatures above room temperature. Hysteresis behaviour shown by the diamagnetic sample happens to be the unique behaviour seen in the first sample with x=0.05 that needs to be investigated further.
