Temperature dependent Mössbauer and neutron diffraction studies of Cu x Fe1−x Cr2S4 compounds

The cation distribution and magnetic structure of Cu _x Fe_1?x Cr₂S₄ (x?=?0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) has been studied by X-ray and neutron diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The charge state of Fe is found to be ferrous (Fe²⁺) for the x?=?0.1 sample; ferric (Fe³⁺) for the x?=?0.5 sample; mixed state (Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺) for the x?=?0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 samples. The Mössbauer spectra of the x?=?0.1 sample show asymmetric line broadening, which is considered to be due to the Jahn–Teller effect of Cu²⁺ ions, and a symmetrical six-line pattern is shown for the x?=?0.5 sample. The valence state of the Cu ions for the x?=?0.1 and 0.5 samples is found to be divalent and monovalent, respectively. The magnetic structure of the samples was determined to be a ferrimagnetic structure with antiparallel alignment of the Fe and Cr ion magnetic moments.