Effects of dipolar interactions on the zero-field-cooled magnetization of a nanoparticle assembly

Abstract

We investigate the effect of (weak) dipolar interactions on the field behavior of the temperature at the maximum of the zero-field-cooled magnetization of a polydisperse assembly of nanoparticles. For this purpose, we extend the Gittleman-Abeles-Bozowski model for the zero-field-cooled magnetization by computing the contribution of dipolar interactions to the longitudinal relaxation time. We show, in good qualitative agreement with many experimental observations, that the temperature at the maximum of the zero-field-cooled magnetization as a function of the applied field changes from a bell-like to a monotonically decreasing curve when the intensity of the dipolar interactions, or equivalently the sample concentration, increases.