Effects of strain, defects and crystal phase transition in mechanically milled nanocrystalline In2O3 powder

Abstract

In this paper, we investigated structural, optical and magnetic properties of mechanically milled In2O3 nanoparticles in the cubic bixbyite phase. It was observed that mechanical milling induces an important increase in the density of defects, strain and hexagonal phase transition for cubic In2O3 nanoparticles. Remarkably, room temperature ferromagnetism was observed after mechanical milling. The hexagonal phase of In2O3 nanoparticles (H-In2O3) which is usually obtained in a high-temperature and pressure environment was clearly observed for the sample submitted to higher milling times which considerably affects the magnetic and optical properties. The physical origin of the FM order of mechanically milled In2O3 nanoparticles has been ascribed to the increase in the density of defects and strain.