Keywords

Nanoparticle, density functional theory(dft), dynamical mean field theory (dmft), magnetic anisotropy

Abstract

In this thesis, Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Dynamical Mean-Field Theory (DMFT) approaches are applied to study the magnetic properties of transition metal nanosystems of different sizes and compositions. In particular, in order to take into account dynamical electron correlation effects (time-resolved local charge interactions), we have adopted the DFT+DMFT formalism and made it suitable for application to nanostructures. Preliminary application of this DFT+DMFT approach, using available codes, to study the magnetic properties of small (2 to 5-atom) Fe and FePt clusters provide meaningful results: dynamical effects lead to a reduction of the cluster magnetic moment as compared to that obtained from DFT or DFT+U (U being the Coulomb repulsion parameter). We have subsequently developed our own nanoDFT+DMFT code and applied it to examine the magnetization of iron particles containing10-147 atoms. Our results for the cluster magnetic moments are in a good agreement with experimental data. In particular, we are able to reproduce the oscillations in magnetic moment with size as observed in the experiments. Also, DFT+DMFT does not lead to an overestimation of magnetization for the clusters in the size range of 10-27 atoms found with DFT and DFT+U. On application of the nanoDFT+DMFT approach to systems with mixed geometry – Fe2O3 film, which are periodic (infinitely extended), in two directions, and finite in the third. Similar to DFT+U, we find that the surface atom magnetic moments are smaller compared to the bulk. However, the absolute values of the surface atoms magnetic moments are smaller in DFT+DMFT. In parallel, we have carried out a systematic study of magnetic anisotropy in bimetallic L10 FePt nanoparticles (20-484 atoms) by using two DFT-based approaches: direct and the torque method. We find that the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) of FePt clusters is larger than that of the pure Fe and Pt ones. We explain this effect by a large hybridization of 3d Fe- and 5d Pt-atom orbitals, which lead to enhancement of the magnetic moment of the Pt atom, and hence to a larger magnetic anisotropy because of large spin-orbit coupling of Pt atoms. In addition, we find that particles whose (large) central layer consists of Pt atoms, rather than Fe, have larger MCA due to stronger hybridization effects. Such 'protected' MCA, which does not require protective cladding, can be used in modern magnetic technologies.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2015

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Rahman, Talat S.

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Physics

Degree Program

Physics

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0006038

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0006038

Language

English

Release Date

November 2015

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences; Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

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Physics Commons

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