Abstract
High resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) pattern of highly c-oriented (002) thin film provide a direct evidence of the formation of R-3c orthorhombic ZnCO3 structural phase. Room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) is measured using bulk vibrating sample magnetometery (VSM). A strong orbital anisotropy has been observed by X-ray linear dichroism (XLD) experiment, which also supports that ZnCO3 phase is structurally non-distortive after carbon-implantation. The absence of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) signal at O K- and C K-edges suggest that bulk VSM ferromagnetism is not related to the magnetic polarization of O 2p/C 2p orbitals hybridized with Zn-states. These experiments clearly indicate that the complex C–ZnO/ZnCO3 phase should be ferromagnetic having out-of-plane/in-plane orbital reconstruction.
•Structural, and electronic/magnetic properties of Carbon implanted ZnO thin films.•Observation of C–ZnO/ZnCO3 complex responsible for ferromagnetism having out-of-plane/in-plane orbital.•VSM ferromagnetism is not related to the magnetic polarization of O 2p/C 2p orbitals hybridized with Zn-states.