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Title: Crystal and magnetic study of the disordered perovskites Ca(Mn{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 0.5})O{sub 3} and Ca(Fe{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 0.5})O{sub 3}

Journal Article · · Materials Research Bulletin
;  [1];  [2];  [3];  [1]
  1. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Energia, Medio Ambiente y Tecnologias Sostenibles, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 3, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain)
  2. Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, EPS, Universidad Carlos III, Avda. Universidad 30, E-28911 Leganes-Madrid (Spain)
  3. Institut Max Von Laue Paul Langevin, F-38042 Grenoble (France)

We have investigated the double perovskites Ca{sub 2}MSbO{sub 6} (M = Mn, Fe) that have been prepared by solid-state reaction (M = Fe) and wet chemistry procedures (M = Mn). The crystal and magnetic structures have been studied from X-ray (XRD) and neutron powder diffraction (NPD) data. Rietveld refinements show that the crystal structures are orthorhombic (space group Pbnm) with complete disorder of M and Sb cations, so the formula should be rewritten as Ca(M{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 0.5})O{sub 3}. Due to this disorder no evidences of Jahn-Teller distortion can be observed in the MnO{sub 6} octahedra of Ca(Mn{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 0.5})O{sub 3}, in contrast with the ordered double perovskite Sr{sub 2}MnSbO{sub 6}. Ca(Fe{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 0.5})O{sub 3} behaves as an antiferromagnet with an ordered magnetic moment for Fe{sup 3+} of 1.53(4){mu}{sub B} and a propagation vector k = 0, as investigated by low-temperature NPD. The antiferromagnetic ordering is a result of the high degree of Fe/Sb anti-site disorder of the sample, which originates the spontaneous formation of Fe-rich islands, characterized by the presence of strong Fe-O-Fe antiferromagnetic couplings with enough long-range coherence to produce a magnetic contribution perceptible by NPD. By contrast, the magnetic structure of Ca(Mn{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 0.5})O{sub 3} cannot be observed by low-temperature NPD because the magnitude of the ordered magnetic moments is below the detection threshold for neutrons.

OSTI ID:
22202830
Journal Information:
Materials Research Bulletin, Vol. 45, Issue 10; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0025-5408
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English