Hysteresis losses in a dense superparamagnetic nanoparticle assembly

The hysteresis losses of a dense assembly of magnetite nanoparticles with an average diameter D = 25 nm are measured in the frequency range f = 10 - 200 kHz for magnetic field amplitudes up to H-0 = 400 Oe. The low frequency hysteresis loops of the assembly are obtained by means of integration of the electro-motive force signal arising in a small pick-up coil wrapped around a sample which contains 1 - 5 mg of a magnetite powder. It is proved experimentally that the specific absorption rate diminishes approximately 4.5 times when the sample aspect ratio decreases from 11.4 to 1. Theoretical estimate shows that experimentally measured hysteresis loops can be approximately described only by taking into account appreciable contributions of magnetic nanoparticles of both very small, D < 10 - 12 nm, and rather large, D > 30 nm, diameters. Thus the wide particle size distribution has to be assumed. Copyright 2012 Author(s). This article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. [doi:10.1063/1.3688084]