The doping of Mn in Si is attracting research attentions due to the possibility to fabricate Si-based diluted magnetic semiconductors. However, the low solubility of Mn in Si favors the precipitation of Mn ions even at non-equilibrium growth conditions. MnSi1.7 nanoparticles are the common precipitates, which show exotic magnetic properties in comparison with the MnSi1.7 bulk phase. In this paper we present the static and dynamic magnetic properties of MnSi1.7 nanoparticles. Using the Preisach model, we derive the magnetic parameters, such as the magnetization of individual particles, the distribution of coercive fields and the inter-particle interaction field. Time-dependent magnetization measurements reveal a spin-glass behavior of the system.
@article{arxiv.0908.2906,
title = {MnSi$_{1.7}$ nanoparticles embedded in Si: Superparamagnetism with a collective behavior},
author = {Shengqiang Zhou and A. Shalimov and K. Potzger and M. Helm and J. Fassbender and H. Schmidt},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0908.2906},
year = {2009}
}