The ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) of SrZ hexaferrite (Sr3Co2Fe24O41), and the tuning of FMR with an external magnetic field

The hexagonal Z-type ferrite Sr3Co2Fe24O41 (SrZ) was first synthesised in 2001 and reported as being a room temperature multiferroic material in 2010, with subsequent investigations into its multiferroic properties, but little into high frequency and microwave properties, and ferromagnetic resonance frequency (FMR), which determines its ability as an electromagnetic (EM) absorber and radar absorbing (RAM) stealth material. It was shown that SrZ existed as a majority or single phase after heating in a narrow temperature range between 1170 and 1190 °C using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and measurement of magnetic hysteresis loops, with the sample appearing to be single phase SrZ at 1190 °C. We measured complex permeability and permittivity of a single phase polycrystalline ceramic sample of SrZ between 500 MHz and 8 GHz (X-band). The sample had a relatively high permittivity >17 over this entire frequency range, and it showed a strong ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) at 2.3 GHz. This FMR could also be tuned by the effect of an external magnetic field, by moving a simple bar magnet progressively closer to a toroidal sample. This incurred a very slight shift in the peak up to 2.48 GHz at distances of 2.5–10 cm from the sample – a tuning of ∼5–6% with applied magnetic fields estimated to be 0.11–0.23 T, which is not insignificant. At a close distance of 0.5 mm we got a high degree of tuning of FMR to 3.4 GHz, a large change of 1.07 GHz (= 46% increase) with an applied magnetic field estimated to be 0.40 T. Despite this, the applied field had no significant effect on permittivity over 0.5–8 GHz. Such results have never been reported before, and are significant, as this would enable tuning of the FMR via simple physical/mechanical movement of a bulk alloy magnet, effectively creating a tuneable microwave filter or absorber.