LAUSR

This paper reports the effects of rare-earth Sm3+ ion substitution on structural, optical, electronic, and magnetic responses of maghemite nanoparticles. Four samples of varying Sm ion percentage (γ-Fe2-xSmxO3: x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06) were prepared using chemical co-precipitation route. Generation of cubic spinel structure of synthesized nanoparticles was confirmed by analyzing the X-ray diffraction patterns. Average sizes of synthesized nanocrystals were calculated in between 11 and 18 nm together with the presence of compressive-type microstrain inside the tiny crystals was noticed. All the samples exhibited excellent absorption around red and infrared band of EM spectra at 300 K. Room temperature M-H response revealed a gradual reduction in several magnetic parameters like coercivity, magnetic moment, effective anisotropy constant, and saturation magnetization for higher Sm ion content samples. AC conductivity studies at room temperature suggested that the hopping of electrons in between the cationic sites was the primary charge transfer process for all the samples.