Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 January 2011
We have observed ferromagnetism in dilute cobalt-doped SnO2 nanowires at room temperatures. The Co-doped SnO2 nanowires with an average diameter of ∼50 nm were synthesized by the thermal chemical vapor transport method. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analyses demonstrate that the nanowires are single-crystal structures and Co is homogeneously doped into the SnO2 lattice. The ferromagnetic hysteresis curves and temperature-dependent magnetization measurement provide evidence for ferromagnetic properties with a Curie temperature above room temperature. Oxygen annealing has been performed to study the roles played by the oxygen vacancies in determining the ferromagnetic properties of the nanowires.