Control of magnetic ordering by Jahn--Teller distortions in Nd(2)GaMnO(6) and La(2)GaMnO(6).

The substitution of Ga(3+) into the Jahn--Teller distorted, antiferromagnetic perovskites LaMnO(3) and NdMnO(3) strongly affects both the crystal structures and resulting magnetic ordering. In both compounds the Ga(3+) and Mn(3+) cations are disordered over the six coordinate sites. La(2)GaMnO(6) is a ferromagnetic insulator (T(c) = 70 K); a moment per Mn cation of 2.08(5) mu(B) has been determined by neutron powder diffraction at 5 K. Bond length and displacement parameter data suggest Jahn--Teller distortions which are both coherent and incoherent with the Pnma space group symmetry of the perovskite structure (a = 5.51122(4) A, b = 7.80515(6) A, c = 5.52947(4) A) at room temperature. The coherent distortion is strongly suppressed in comparison with the parent LaMnO(3) phase, but the displacement ellipsoids suggest that incoherent distortions are significant and arise from local Jahn--Teller distortions. The preparation of the new phase Nd(2)GaMnO(6) has been found to depend on sample cooling rates, with detailed characterization necessary to ensure phase separation has been avoided. This compound also adopts the GdFeO(3)-type orthorhombically distorted perovskite structure (space group Pnma, a = 5.64876(1) A, b = 7.65212(2) A, c = 5.41943(1) A at room temperature). However, the B site substitution has a totally different effect on the Jahn--Teller distortion at the Mn(3+) centers. This phase exhibits a Q(2) mode Jahn--Teller distortion similar to that observed in LaMnO(3), although reduced in magnitude as a result of the introduction of Ga(3+) onto the B site. There is no evidence of a dynamic Jahn-Teller distortion. At 5 K a ferromagnetically ordered Nd(3+) moment of 1.06(6) mu(B) is aligned along the y-axis and a moment of 2.8(1) mu(B) per Mn(3+) is ordered in the xy plane making an angle of 29(2) degrees with the y-axis. The Mn(3+) moments couple ferromagnetically in the xz plane. However, along the y-axis the moments couple ferromagnetically while the x components are coupled antiferromagnetically. This results in a canted antiferromagnetic arrangement in which the dominant exchange is ferromagnetic. Nd(2)GaMnO(6) is paramagnetic above 40(5) K, with a paramagnetic moment and Weiss constant of 6.70(2) mu(B) and 45.9(4) K, respectively. An ordered moment of 6.08(3) mu(B) per Nd(2)GaMnO(6) formula unit was measured by magnetometry at 5 K in an applied magnetic field of 5 T.     

A μSR study of the spin-crossover

The spin-crossover phenomenon is a cooperative low-spin to high-spin transition which can be initiated using temperature or light-irradiation. We have used muon-spin relaxation (μSR) to study this effect in Fe(PM-PEA)₂(NCS)₂ and Fe(PMAzA)₂(NCS)₂. We find Gaussian or exponential muon relaxation in the high-spin phase for the two compounds, reflecting differences in their intermolecular interactions. For both compounds, the low-spin phase gives rise to root-exponential relaxation which we associate with a dilute distribution of fluctuating moments resulting from incomplete spin crossover.     

Magnetic properties and magnetic structures of synthetic natrochalcites, NaM(II)2(D3O2)(MoO4)2, M = Co or Ni

The magnetic properties and magnetic structures from neutron diffraction of two synthetic natrochalcites, NaM(II)2(H3O2)(MoO4)2, M = Co (1Co) or Ni (2Ni), are reported. They are isostructural (monoclinic C2/m) and consist of chains of edge-shared MO6 octahedra connected by mu-O from H3O2(-) and MoO4(2-). These chains form a three-dimensional network with O-H-O, O-Mo-O, and O-Na-O bridging 4, 3, and 4 metal ions, respectively. Both compounds behave as canted antiferromagnets but differ in their behaviors, 1Co showing a broad maximum (28 K) above the Neel transition (21 K) and the canting taking place at 13 K, some 8 K below T(N), while for 2Ni the canting takes place at T(N) (28 K). Analyses of the neutron powder diffraction data shed some light on the geometry of D3O2(-) and suggest antiferromagnetism with a propagation vector k = (0,0,0) with the moments within each chain being parallel but antiparallel to those in neighboring chains. The difference between 1Co and 2Ni is in the orientation of the moments; they are parallel to the chain axis (b-axis) for 1Co and perpendicular to it for 2Ni with a major component along the c-axis and a small one along the a-axis. The heat capacity data peak at 20.9(3) K (1Co) and 25.1(1) K (2Ni). The derived magnetic entropies, following correction of the lattice contribution using the measured data for the nonmagnetic Zn analogue, suggest S = 1/2 for 1Co but is lower than that expected for 2Ni (S = 1). In both cases, only ca. 60% of the entropy is found below the magnetic ordering temperature, suggesting considerable short-range correlations at higher temperatures. While the temperature at which the magnetic diffraction becomes observable coincides with that of at the peak in heat capacity, it is lower than T(N) observed by magnetization measurements in both cases, and there is evidence of short-range ordering in a narrow range of temperature (T(N) +/- 5 K).     

Influence of HF2- geometry on magnetic interactions elucidated from polymorphs of the metal-organic framework [Ni(HF2)(pyz)2]PF6 (pyz = pyrazine)

A tetragonal polymorph of [Ni(HF(2))(pyz)(2)]PF(6) (designated β) is isomorphic to its SbF(6)-congener at 295 K and features linear Ni-FHF-Ni pillars. Enhancements in the spin exchange (J(FHF) = 7.7 K), Néel temperature (T(N) = 7 K), and critical field (B(c) = 24 T) were found relative to monoclinic α-PF(6). DFT reveals that the HF(2)(-) bridges are significantly better mediators of magnetic exchange than pyz (J(pyz)), where J(FHF) ≈ 3J(pyz), thus leading to quasi-1D behavior. Spin density resides on all atoms of the HF(2)(-) bridge whereas N-donor atoms of the pyz ring bear most of the density.     

Effect of irradiation-induced disorder on the conductivity and critical temperature of the organic superconductor kappa-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(SCN)2

We have introduced defects into clean samples of the organic superconductor kappa-(BEDT-TTF)(2)Cu(SCN)(2) in order to determine their effect on the temperature dependence of the interlayer conductivity and the critical temperature T(c). We find a violation of Matthiessen's rule that can be explained by a model of involving a defect-assisted interlayer channel which acts in parallel with the bandlike conductivity. We observe an unusual dependence of T(c) on residual resistivity, inconsistent with the generalized Abrikosov-Gor'kov theory for an order parameter with a single component, providing an important constraint on models of the superconductivity in this material.