LAUSR

Effect of Cu2+ content on different properties was investigated. Mg1−xCuxO (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) powder was prepared via solid-state reaction. The samples were examined by X-ray diffraction, and the results were analyzed by using Full Prof program by employing Rietveld refinement technique. The results showed that samples with Cu content up to x = 0.15 had a single phase of MgO rock salt structure type and for x = 0.2 two phases were detected, namely MgO rock salt structure and Cu2O cuprite cubic phase. Also, it was found a small increase in the lattice constants with increasing the Cu content. Moreover, the crystallite size was found to decrease with increasing the Cu concentration. The morphology was studied by transmission electron microscopy. The optical energy gap was calculated, and it was found that it has two values. The energy gaps decreased with increasing the Cu content. The dielectric constant ε′, the loss factor tan δ and conductivity increased with increasing Cu concentration. This increase can be directly related to the increase in the concentration of charge carriers and interfacial polarization effects. The saturation magnetization and the retentivity were found to decrease with the increase in Cu concentrations, but the coercivity increased with increasing Cu content.