Sohail Ahmad, Majid Niaz Akhtar, Sijie Zhang, Fatimah Mohammed A. Alzahrani, Sagr Alamri, Hao Zhang, Imran Shakir, M.S. Al-Buriahi, Muhammad Azhar Khan
Electromagnetic absorbers are essential for maintaining continuous communication among high-frequency electromagnetic equipment. The absorption capabilities of lightweight, high-performance microwave materials represent an optimal solution for addressing electromagnetic difficulties in stealth communication technology. This study seeks to synthesize rare-earth Y3+-doped spinel nanoferrites with the formula Cu₀.₅Zn₀.₅YxFe₂-xO₄ ( x = 0.00, 0.03, 0.06, 0.09, and 0.12) via a sol-gel technique. The characteristics of the synthesized Y3+-doped CuZn ferrites are examined using XRD, FTIR, FESEM, TEM, UV–Vis, Raman, VSM, and VNA techniques. The X-ray diffraction analysis indicates a single-phase structure, with crystallite diameters ranging from 31.56 to 42.53 nm. The lattice constant increased from 8.4171 Å to 8.4418 Å with elevated Y3+ concentration, accompanied by an increase in microstrain. Optical analyses revealed an increase in the bandgap from 2.01 eV to 2.22 eV due to Y3+-doping. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy revealed modifications in vibrational modes and metal–oxygen interactions. The force constant values at the A site increased, while those at the B sites decreased, as indicated by the absorption bands. FESEM, TEM along with EDAX analysis, confirms the hexagonal shapes with actual weight and atomic percentages of each element in Y3+-doped CuZn ferrites. XPS analysis confirms the presence of Cu, Zn, Y, Fe, and O elements at specified binding energies. The magnetic saturation magnetisation (Ms) diminishes from 59.57 to 31.45, whereas coercivity (Hc) escalates from 31.06 to 42.23 Oe, respectively. Dielectric and impedance analyses were utilized to clarify the charge dynamics and mobility relevant to high-frequency applications. The absorptivity of Y3+-doped CuZn ferrites depicted a minimum reflection loss (RL) of -66.87 dB at 13.16 GHz, along with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4.5 GHz. This confirms their capability to reduce electromagnetic pollution through efficient electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding in the X and Ku bands. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.
School of Mechanical Engineering, Guizhou University of Engineering Science (GUES), Guizhou, 551700, China; School of Science, Guizhou University of Engineering Science, Bijie, 551700, China; College of Physics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China; Institute of Physics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan; Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia; School of Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University of Engineering Science, Bijie, 551700, China; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Madina, 42351, Saudi Arabia; Department of Physics, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Turkey; Center for Engineering and Technology Innovations, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia
