Effect of Cobalt Concentration and Oxygen Vacancy on Magnetism of Co Doped ZnO Nanorods.

Zn(1-x)Co(x)O (x = 0-0.07) single-crystalline nanorods were prepared by a modified microemulsion route. The crystalline structure, morphology, optical, and hysteresis loop at low and room temperature of as-prepared materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, PL spectra, and magnetic measurement respectively. The nanorods are 80-250 nm in diameter and about 3 μm in length. X-ray diffraction data, TEM images confirm that the materials synthesized in optimal conditions are ZnO:Co single crystalline solid solution without any impurities related to Co. The PL spectra show that the ferromagnetic samples exhibit strong Zn interstitials and oxygen vacancy emission indicating defects may stabilize ferromagnetic order in the obtained diluted magnetic semiconductors. Magnetic measurements show that the Zn(1-x)Co(x)O nanorods exist obvious ferromagnetic characteristics with T(c) above 300 K. M(s) and coercivities first increase and then decrease with dopant concentration increasing, reaching the highest for 3% doping level. The structural and magnetic properties of these samples support the hypothesis that the FM of DMS nanorods is due to a defect mediated mechanism instead of cobalt nanoclusters and carrier mediated.