Eur. Phys. J. Plus (2022) 137: 340
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-022-02531-y

Regular Article

Exploring the electronic structure, and ferromagnetism of Co-doped ZnTe for spintronics: an experimental and DFT modelling approach

¹ Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
² Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
³ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre (IEC), Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia

^a tzelai@jazanu.edu.sa

Received: 8 December 2021
Accepted: 27 February 2022
Published online: 14 March 2022

Abstract

Herein, the structural, morphological, electronic, and magnetic properties of pure and Co (6.25 wt% and 12.5 wt%)-doped ZnTe have been investigated comprehensively using various characterization tools and DFT simulation approach. From the experiment, the XRD patterns of Co-doped samples retain all the diffraction peaks of pure ZnTe, indicating a stable cubic crystal structure. The crystallite sizes of pure and Co-doped samples (pure: 15.525 nm, ZnTe with 6.25 wt% of Co: 11.81 nm, and ZnTe with 12.5 wt% of Co: 11.73 nm) are calculated using the Scherrer formula from the two highest intensity peaks of (111) and (220). Further, the morphology was studied by FE-SEM images which indicate a particle size between few tens of nanometres to a micrometre. Additionally, the chain-like morphology of the prepared materials increases with increasing contents of Co with highly visible porous morphology observed in 12.5% Co-doped ZnTe sample. Moreover, the X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was employed to investigate the local structure and oxidation of pure and Co-doped ZnTe samples at Zn, Co K-edges along with ZnO, CoO standards, and Zn, Co metallic foils. To observe ferromagnetism in these samples, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) was employed which indicate an increase in ferromagnetism by increasing Co contents. It has been concluded that the ferromagnetism was developed by exchange mechanism of electrons rather than clustering of Co ions as also confirmed by theoretical density functional theory (DFT)-based investigation.