Magnetization in Nanocrystalline PLD Zinc Ferrite Thin Films Deposited on Fused Quartz Substrate

The nanocrystalline zinc ferrite (ZnFe₂O₄) thin films were grown on the fused quartz substrate using pulsed laser deposition. The effects of atmospheric conditions on structural, magnetic, and morphological properties have been systematically studied using X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry, and atomic force microscopy. The films showed textured growth of zinc ferrite for the substrate temperatures at ≥ 600 °C irrespective of the ambient environment. Interestingly, thin films of zinc ferrite showed a magnetic hysteresis loop in contrast to the paramagnetic nature of their bulk counterpart. The value of saturation magnetization (4πM_s) increased from 130 to 360 G when the substrate temperature was increased from room temperature (RT) to 800 °C in the oxygen atmosphere. In the absence of oxygen pressure, the value of 4πM_s is observed to be 330 G for the film deposited at RT and found to increase to a value of 670 G when the film is deposited at 400 °C and the maximum value of 2580 G is observed for the film deposited at 700 °C. However, the value of 4πM_s of 800 °C dropped down to 2000 G.