Structural, magnetic, optical properties and cation distribution of nanosized Ni0.3Cu0.3Zn0.4TmxFe2-xO4 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) spinel ferrites synthesized by ultrasound irradiation

In this study, Tm3+ ion substituted NiCuZn nanospinel ferrites, Ni0.3Cu0.3Zn0.4TmxFe2-xO4 (0.0 <= x <= 0.10), have been synthesized sonochemically. The structural, spectroscopic, morphological, optic and magnetic investigation of the samples were done by X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FT-IR), UV Vis diffused reflectance (%DR) spectrophotometry, transmission and scanning electron microscopies (TEM and SEM) along with EDX, Vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), respectively. The purity of prepared products were confirmed via XRD, FT-IR, EDX and elemental mapping analyses. The analyses of magnetization versus M(H) (applied magnetic field) were performed at 300 and 10 K. The following magnetic parameters like M-s (saturation magnetization), SQR = M-r/M-s, (squareness ratio), n(B)(magnetic moment), H-c (coercivity) and M-r (remanence) have been discussed. M(H) loops revealed superparamagnetic property at RT and soft ferromagnetic nature at 10 K. It is showed that the Tm3+ substitutions significantly affect the magnetizations data. A decreasing trend in the M-s, H-c, M-r, and n(B) values was detected with Tm3+ substitution.