Physical justification for negative remanent magnetization in homogeneous nanoparticles.

The phenomenon of negative remanent magnetization (NRM) has been observed experimentally in a number of heterogeneous magnetic systems and has been considered anomalous. The existence of NRM in homogenous magnetic materials is still in debate, mainly due to the lack of compelling support from experimental data and a convincing theoretical explanation for its thermodynamic validation. Here we resolve the long-existing controversy by presenting experimental evidence and physical justification that NRM is real in a prototype homogeneous ferromagnetic nanoparticle, an europium sulfide nanoparticle.

Solution synthesis of gadolinium nanoparticles.

Gadolinium nanoparticles have been produced at subambient temperature by alkalide reduction. The nanoparticles display maxima in the temperature dependence of their magnetization, cooled in the absence of an applied external field, at T(max) of 5.0 and 17.