Microwave-Hydrothermal Synthesis of Y3Fe5O12 Nanoparticles: Sintering Temperature Effect on Structural, Magnetic and Dielectric Properties

Herein, we report a facile microwave-assisted hydrothermal method for the preparation of yttrium iron garnet (YIG, Y3Fe5O12)nanocrystals and realized the synergy between its structural and magnetic properties. The as-prepared powder thermal stability was characterized in detail by using thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA). The synthesized powder was microwave sintered at six different temperatures ranging from 973 to 1373 K for 60 min and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Magnetic properties were investigated by vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM) and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) studies. The frequency variation of dielectric and magnetic properties was measured in the frequency range of 100 kHz–1.8 GHz. The observed magnetic and dielectric parameters such as saturation magnetization, coercivity, permeability, linewidth, dielectric constant and magnetodielectric losses are strongly affected by sintering temperature. The saturation magnetization and coercivity of YIG were found in the range 14.4–28.0 emu/g and 35–87 Oe, respectively. Furthermore, the FMR linewidth decreases from 844 to 204 Oe. This analysis undoubtedly demonstrates that the synthesis method and sintering temperature have the prominent effect on the electrical and magnetic properties of YIG and would be very useful for the garnet-based microwave device applications.