Magnetic ordering of spin systems having fractal dimensions Experimental study

摘要

It is well-known that cooperative properties such as magnetic ordering can depend on the samples' dimensions (Ds) in a qualitative way. However, there have been no samples with well-defined non-integer Ds. The dimension of a given sample has been always discussed on the anisotropy of the electronic/crystal/magnetic structures, which has no definition suitable for quantitative discussion on dimensions vs. properties. On the other hand a particular type of porous samples, i.e. fractal bodies, can have well-defined non-integer Ds dependent exclusively on the geometrical feature of structures, and physical properties of such materials remains unexplored. This paper reports on magnetic ordering in samples covering 2.5 ≤ D ≤ 3, in addition to a way of precise control of the fractal dimensions of given samples simply by wax (alkylketene dimer). The results show that the magnetic ordering temperatures, i.e. Néel temperatures (TNs), of CoO depend on D, and rapidly enhance immediately below D = 3. This means that one can control or enhance the critical temperature simply by tuning D with keeping the remaining magnetic properties unchanged.