Moessbauer studies of ferromagnetism in Fe-doped ZnO magnetic semiconductor

Zn1-x57FexO (x=0.01, 0.02, 0.03) compounds were fabricated using the solid-state reaction method. In order to determine the magnetic behavior and ionic state of the doped transition metal (57Fe) in ZnO, we carried out Moessbauer measurements at various temperatures ranging from 13 to 295 K. Moessbauer spectra for Zn0.9757Fe0.03O at 13 K have shown the ferromagnetic phase (sextet) and paramagnetic phase (doublet), but the only paramagnetic phase (doublet) is seen at 295 K. The hysteresis loop below 77 K for Zn0.9757Fe0.03O indicated the coexistence of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases