Magnetic phase transitions and iron valence in the double perovskite Sr 2 FeOsO 6

The insulating and antiferromagnetic double perovskite Sr₂FeOsO₆ has been studied by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy between 5 and 295 K. The iron atoms are essentially in the Fe^3?+? high spin $( {t_{2\mathrm{g}}{^3} e_\mathrm{g}{^2} } )$ and thus the osmium atoms in the Os $^{5+} ( {t_{2\mathrm{g}}{^3} } )$ state. Two magnetic phase transitions, which according to neutron diffraction studies occur below T _N?= 140 K and T ₂?= 67 K, give rise to magnetic hyperfine patterns, which differ considerably in the hyperfine fields and thus, in the corresponding ordered magnetic moments. The evolution of hyperfine field distributions, average values of the hyperfine fields, and magnetic moments with temperature suggests that the magnetic state formed below T _N is strongly frustrated. The frustration is released by a magneto-structural transition which below T ₂ leads to a different spin sequence along the c-direction of the tetragonal crystal structure.