Enhancement of the Optical properties of Mg0.6 Cu0.4 FeCrO4 spinel ferrite via heat treatment

We conducted a study to analyze the structural, morphological, and optical properties of Mg0.6Cu0.4FeCrO4 spinel ferrite samples synthesized by the sol-gel method and sintered at two different temperatures, 900 °C and 1100 °C. The infrared spectrum analysis revealed the presence of only the tetrahedral stretch band (νA), which had frequencies of 585 cm−1 for 900 °C and 586 cm−1 for 1100 °C. The bandgap energy and Urbach energy values decrease with increasing sintering temperature. The bandgap energy decreases from 1.20 eV to 1.06 eV, while the Urbach energy values decrease from 1.26 eV to 1.11 eV. Emphasis has been placed on the analysis of key aspects such as refractive index(n), optical conductivity (σopt), extinction coefficient (k), penetration depth (ẟ), dielectric tangent loss, Q-factor, and dielectric constant. Optical studies have provided confirmation that Mg0.6Cu0.4FeCrO4 spinel ferrites exhibit properties suitable for optoelectronics applications.