Structural and magnetic properties of the quaternary oxides Ba6Ln2Fe4O15 (Ln=Pr and Nd)

The crystal structures and magnetic properties of the quaternary lanthanide oxides Ba₆Ln₂Fe₄O₁₅ (Ln=Pr and Nd) are reported. They crystallize in a hexagonal structure with space group P6₃mc and have the “Fe₄O₁₅ cluster” consisting of one FeO₆ octahedron and three FeO₄ tetrahedra. Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and powder neutron diffraction reveal that this cluster behaves as a spin tetramer with a ferrimagnetic ground state of S_T=5 even at room temperature. The cluster moments show a long-range antiferromagnetic ordering at 23.2 K (Ln=Pr) and 17.8 K (Nd), and the magnetic moments of the Ln³⁺ ions also order cooperatively. By applying the magnetic field (∼2 T), this antiferromagnetic ordering of the clusters changes to a ferromagnetic one. This result indicates that there exists a competition in the magnetic interaction between the clusters.     

Magnetic and electrical properties of quadruple perovskites with 12 layer structures Ba4LnM3O12 (Ln=rare earths; M=Ru, Ir): The role of metal-metal bonding in perovskite-related oxides

Structures and magnetic and electrical properties of quadruple perovskites containing rare earths Ba₄LnM₃O₁₂ (Ln=rare earths; M=Ru, Ir) were investigated. They crystallize in the 12L-perovskite-type structure. Three MO₆ octahedra are connected to each other by face-sharing and form a M₃O₁₂ trimer. The M₃O₁₂ trimers and LnO₆ octahedra are alternately linked by corner-sharing, forming the perovskite-type structure with 12 layers. For Ln=Ce, Pr, and Tb, both the Ln and M ions are in the tetravalent state (Ba₄Ln⁴⁺M⁴⁺₃O₁₂), and for other Ln ions, Ln ions are in the trivalent state and the mean oxidation state of M ions is +4.33 (Ba₄Ln³⁺M^4.33+₃O₁₂). All the Ba₄Ln³⁺Ru^4.33+₃O₁₂ compounds show magnetic ordering at low temperatures, while any of the corresponding iridium-containing compounds Ba₄Ln³⁺Ir^4.33+₃O₁₂ is paramagnetic down to 1.8 K. Ba₄Ce⁴⁺Ir⁴⁺₃O₁₂ orders antiferromagnetically at 10.5 K, while the corresponding ruthenium-containing compound Ba₄Ce⁴⁺Ru⁴⁺₃O₁₂ is paramagnetic. These magnetic results were well understood by the magnetic behavior of M₃O₁₂. The effective magnetic moments and the entropy change for the magnetic ordering show that the trimers Ru^4.33+₃O₁₂ and Ir⁴⁺₃O₁₂ have the S= ground state, and in other cases there is no magnetic contribution from the trimers Ru⁴⁺₃O₁₂ or Ir^4.33+₃O₁₂.Measurements of the electrical resistivity of Ba₄LnM₃O₁₂ and its analysis show that these compounds demonstrate two-dimensional Mott-variable range hopping behavior.     

Magnetic properties of quadruple perovskites Ba4LnRu3O12 (Ln=La, Nd, Sm-Gd, Dy-Lu)

Quadruple perovskites Ba₄LnRu₃O₁₂ (Ln=La, Nd, Sm-Gd, Dy-Lu) were prepared and their magnetic properties were investigated. They adopt the 12L-perovskite-type structure consisting of Ru₃O₁₂ trimers and LnO₆ octahedra. All of these compounds show an antiferromagnetic transition at 2.5-30 K. For Ba₄NdRu₃O₁₂, ferrimagnetic ordering has been observed at 11.5 K. The observed magnetic transition is due to the magnetic behavior of the Ru^4.33+₃O₁₂ trimer with S=. Magnetic properties of Ba₄LnRu₃O₁₂ were compared with those of triple perovskites Ba₃LnRu₂O₉ and double perovskites Ba₂LnRuO₆.     

B-site disordering in Ba3Ln2MoO9 (Ln=Ho, Er) perovskites: A neutron diffraction study

We describe the preparation, structure determination and magnetic properties of two Ba perovskites containing rare-earth cations at the B-sublattice. Ba₃Ln₂MoO₉ (Ln=Ho³⁺ and Er³⁺) were synthesized by ceramic procedures. Joint X-ray (XRPD) and neutron (NPD) powder diffraction refinements were carried out to analyse the crystal structure. At room temperature, both phases are tetragonal, space group I4/mcm, Z=4. Ln and Mo atoms are found to be distributed at random over the octahedral sites of the perovskites. Magnetic measurements at 0.1 T show that both samples are paramagnetic between 3 and 300 K, following a Curie-Weiss law. M vs. H curves show a region of paramagnetic behaviour and above 2.5 T a magnetic saturated system is observed. Finally, the temperature evolution of the NPD patterns of Ba₃Ho₂MoO₉ reveals the absence of long-range magnetic ordering down to 2 K.     

Studies on magnetic and calorimetric properties of double perovskites Ba2HoRuO6 and Ba2HoIrO6

Magnetic properties of double perovskite compounds Ba₂HoRuO₆ and Ba₂HoIrO₆ have been reported. Powder X-ray and neutron diffraction measurements show that these compounds have a cubic perovskite-type structure with the space group and the 1:1 ordered arrangement of Ho³⁺ and Ru⁵⁺ (or Ir⁵⁺) over the 6-coordinate B sites. Results of the magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements show that Ba₂HoRuO₆ exhibits two magnetic anomalies at 22 and 50 K. Analysis of the temperature dependence of magnetic specific heat indicates that the anomaly at 50 K is due to the antiferromagnetic ordering of Ru⁵⁺ ions and that the anomaly at 22 K is ascribable to the magnetic interaction between Ho³⁺ ions. Neutron diffraction data collected at 10 and 35 K show that the Ba₂HoRuO₆ has a long range antiferromagnetic ordering involving both Ho³⁺ and Ru⁵⁺ ions. Each of their magnetic moments orders in a Type I arrangement and these magnetic moments are anti-parallel in the ab-plane with each other. The magnetic moments are aligned along the c-direction. On the other hand, Ba₂HoIrO₆ is paramagnetic down to 1.8 K.     

Crystal structures and magnetic properties of 6H-perovskite-type oxides Ba3MIr2O9 (M=Mg, Ca, Sc, Ti, Zn, Sr, Zr, Cd and In)

Crystal structures and magnetic properties of quaternary oxides Ba₃MIr₂O₉ (M=Mg, Ca, Sc, Ti, Zn, Sr, Zr, Cd and In) were investigated. Rietveld analyses of their X-ray diffraction data indicate that they adopt the 6H-perovskite-type structure with space group P6₃/mmc or, in the case of M=Ca, Sr and Cd, a monoclinically distorted structure with space group C2/c. The Ir valence configurations are (M=Mg, Ca, Zn, Sr and Cd), (M=Sc and In) and (M=Ti and Zr). Magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements were carried out. In the , the Ir⁵⁺ ions have a non-magnetic ground state and the magnetic behavior for these compounds is explained by the Kotani's theory. For , the effective magnetic moment of these compounds is significantly small, although the Ir⁴⁺ ions have magnetic moment, which indicates the existence of the strong antiferromagnetic interaction between Ir⁴⁺ ions in the Ir⁴⁺₂O₉ face-shared bioctahedra. In the case of , a specific heat anomaly was found at about 10 K (M=Sc) and 1.6 K (M=In), which suggests the magnetic ordering of the magnetic moments of Ir⁴⁺ in the (Ir⁴⁺Ir⁵⁺)O₉ bioctahedra.     

Magnetic and structural properties of NaLnMnWO6 and NaLnMgWO6 perovskites

We have prepared 14 new AA′BB′O₆ perovskites which possess a rock salt ordering of the B-site cations and a layered ordering of the A-site cations. The compositions obtained are NaLnMnWO₆ (Ln=Ce, Pr, Sm, Gd, Dy, and Ho) and NaLnMgWO₆ (Ln=Ce, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho). The samples were structurally characterized by powder X-ray diffraction which has revealed metrically tetragonal lattice parameters for compositions with Ln=Ce, Pr and monoclinic symmetry for compositions with smaller lanthanides. Magnetic susceptibility vs. temperature measurements have found that all six NaLnMnWO₆ compounds undergo antiferromagnetic ordering at temperatures between 10 and 13 K. Several compounds show signs of a second magnetic phase transition. One sample, NaPrMnWO₆, appears to pass through at least three magnetic phase transitions within a narrow temperature range. All eight NaLnMgWO₆ compounds remain paramagnetic down to 2 K revealing that the ordering of the Ln³⁺ cations in the NaLnMnWO₆ compounds is induced by the ordering of the Mn²⁺ sub-lattice.     

Magnetic properties and structural transitions of orthorhombic fluorite-related compounds Ln3MO7 (Ln=rare earths, M=transition metals)

Magnetic properties and structural transitions of ternary rare-earth transition-metal oxides Ln₃MO₇ (Ln=rare earths, M=transition metals) were investigated. In this study, we prepared a series of molybdates Ln₃MoO₇ (Ln=La-Gd). They crystallize in an orthorhombic superstructure of cubic fluorite with space group P2₁2₁2₁, in which Ln³⁺ ions occupy two different crystallographic sites (the 8-coordinated and 7-coordinated sites). All of these compounds show a phase transition from the space group P2₁2₁2₁ to Pnma in the temperature range between 370 and 710 K. Their magnetic properties were characterized by magnetic susceptibility measurements from 1.8 to 400 K and specific heat measurements from 0.4 to 400 K. Gd₃MoO₇ shows an antiferromagnetic transition at 1.9 K. Measurements of the specific heat for Sm₃MoO₇ and the analysis of the magnetic specific heat indicate a “two-step” antiferromagnetic transition due to the ordering of Sm magnetic moments in different crystallographic sites, i.e., with decreasing temperature, the antiferromagnetic ordering of the 7-coordinated Sm ions occur at 2.5 K, and then the 8-coordinated Sm ions order at 0.8 K. The results of Ln₃MoO₇ were compared with the magnetic properties and structural transitions of Ln₃MO₇ (M=Nb, Ru, Sb, Ta, Re, Os, or Ir).     

Magnetic properties of EuLn2O4 (Ln=rare earths)

Ternary rare earth oxides EuLn₂O₄ (Ln=Gd, Dy-Lu) were prepared. They crystallized in an orthorhombic CaFe₂O₄-type structure with space group Pnma. ¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements show that the Eu ions are in the divalent state. All these compounds show an antiferromagnetic transition at 4.2-6.3 K. From the positive Weiss constant and the saturation of magnetization for EuLu₂O₄, it is considered that ferromagnetic chains of Eu²⁺ are aligned along the b-axis of the orthorhombic unit cell, with neighboring Eu²⁺ chains antiparallel. When Ln=Gd-Tm, ferromagnetically aligned Eu²⁺ ions interact with the Ln³⁺ ions, which would overcome the magnetic frustration of triangularly aligned Ln³⁺ ions and the EuLn₂O₄ compounds show a simple antiferromagnetic behavior.     

Magnetic and calorimetric studies on rare-earth iron borates LnFe3(BO3)4 (Ln=Y, La-Nd, Sm-Ho)

A series of rare-earth iron borates having general formula LnFe₃(BO₃)₄ (Ln=Y, La-Nd, Sm-Ho) were prepared and their magnetic properties have been investigated by the magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectrum measurements. These borates show antiferromagnetic transitions at low temperatures and their magnetic transition temperatures increase with decreasing Ln³⁺ ionic radius from 22 K for LaFe₃(BO₃)₄ to 40 K for TbFe₃(BO₃)₄. In addition, X-ray diffraction, specific heat, and differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurements indicate that the phase transition occurs for the LnFe₃(BO₃)₄ compounds with Ln=Eu-Ho, Y, and its transition temperature increases remarkably with decreasing Ln³⁺ ionic radius from 88 K for Ln=Eu to 445 K for Ln=Y.     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of 12L-perovskites Ba4LnIr3O12 (Ln=lanthanides)

New quadruple perovskite oxides Ba₄LnIr₃O₁₂ (Ln=lanthanides) were prepared and their magnetic properties were investigated. They crystallize in the monoclinic 12L-perovskite-type structure with space group C2/m. The Ir₃O₁₂ trimers and LnO₆ octahedra are alternately linked by corner-sharing and form the perovskite-type structure with 12 layers. The Ln and Ir ions are both in the tetravalent state for Ln=Ce, Pr, and Tb compounds , and for other compounds (Ln=La, Nd, Sm-Gd, Dy-Lu), Ln ions are in the trivalent state and the mean oxidation state of Ir ions is . An antiferromagnetic transition has been observed for Ln=Ce, Pr, and Tb compounds at 10.5, 35, and 16 K, respectively, while the other compounds are paramagnetic down to 1.8 K.     

Magnetic properties of barium uranate Ba2U2O7

Unique magnetic properties of a ternary uranate Ba₂U₂O₇ are reported. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that this compound undergoes a magnetic transition at 19 K. Below this temperature, magnetic hysteresis was observed. The results of the low-temperature specific heat measurements below 30 K support the existence of the second-order magnetic transition at 19 K. Ba₂U₂O₇ undergoes a canted antiferromagnetic ordering at this temperature. The magnetic anomaly which sets in at 58 K may be due to the onset of one-dimensional magnetic correlations associated with the linear chains formed by U ions. The analysis of the experimental magnetic susceptibility data in the paramagnetic temperature region gives the effective magnetic moment μ_eff=0.73 μ_B, the Weiss constant θ=−10 K, and the temperature-independent paramagnetic susceptibility χ_TIP=0.14×10⁻³ emu/mole.The magnetic susceptibility results and the optical absorption spectrum were analyzed on the basis of an octahedral crystal field model. The energy levels of Ba₂U₂O₇ and the crystal field parameters were determined.     

Specific heat and neutron diffraction study on quaternary sulfides BaNd2CoS5 and BaNd2ZnS5

Magnetic and electrical properties are investigated for quaternary neodymium sulfides BaNd₂TS₅ (T=Co, Zn) through the specific heat, neutron diffraction, and electrical conductivity measurements. Their electrical conductivities show semiconductive behavior, which follows the Arrhenius temperature dependence with the activation energy of E_a=1.46 eV for BaNd₂ZnS₅ and E_a=1.19 eV for BaNd₂CoS₅. The specific heat of BaNd₂ZnS₅ has a λ-type anomaly at 2.8 K due to the antiferromagnetic ordering of the Nd³⁺ moments and a Schottky-type anomaly at around 60 K, which results from the crystal field splitting of the ⁴I_9/2 ground state of the Nd³⁺ ion. The specific heat of BaNd₂CoS₅ shows two λ-type anomalies at 5.7 K due to the antiferromagnetic ordering of Nd³⁺ and at 58 K due to the antiferromagnetic ordering of Co²⁺. The latter overlaps with the Schottky-type anomaly due to the crystal field splitting of the Nd³⁺ ion. Neutron diffraction measurements for BaNd₂CoS₅ show that a magnetic arrangement of the Co²⁺ moments has a collinear antiferromagnetic structure, while that of the Nd³⁺ moments has a noncollinear one.     

Influence of Co doping on properties of Pr0.8Na0.2Mn(1−y)CoyO3 perovskites

The influence of the cobalt substitution for manganese ions in the series of the perovskites Pr_0.8Na_0.2Mn_(1−x)Co_xO₃ (0?x?0.1) was investigated. The study of electric and magnetic properties was carried out on sintered polycrystalline samples. The composition of x=0.04 exhibits an insulator to metal-like (I-M) transition at ∼106 K, connected with a ferromagnetic arrangement. For x=0.1, however, an insulating behavior persists down to low temperatures in spite of the transition to the bulk ferromagnetism. The observed properties are related to an acting of the cobalt ions as point defects. They disturb the tendency to charge ordering and instead of the antiferromagnetic arrangement typical for x=0 ferromagnetic double-exchange interactions Mn³⁺-O²⁻-Mn⁴⁺ and Mn^3.5+δ-O²⁻-Co²⁺, decisive for the resulting behavior, arise.     

Crystal and magnetic structures of the brownmillerite compound Ca2Fe1.039(8)Mn0.962(8)O5

The crystal and magnetic structures of the brownmillerite material, Ca₂Fe_1.039(8)Mn_0.962(8)O₅ were investigated using powder X-ray and neutron diffraction methods, the latter from 3.8 to 700 K. The compound crystallizes in Pnma space group with unit cell parameters of a=5.3055(5) Å, b=15.322(2) Å, c=5.4587(6) Å at 300 K. The neutron diffraction study revealed the occupancies of Fe³⁺ and Mn³⁺ ions in both octahedral and tetrahedral sites and showed some intersite mixing and a small, ∼4%, Fe excess. While bulk magnetization data were inconclusive, variable temperature neutron diffraction measurements showed the magnetic transition temperature to be 407(2) K below which a long range antiferromagnetic ordering of spins occurs with ordering wave vector k=(000). The spins of each ion are coupled antiferromagnetically with the nearest neighbors within the same layer and coupled antiparallel to the closest ions from the neighboring layer. This combination of intra- and inter-layer antiparallel arrangement of spins forms a G-type magnetic structure. The ordered moments on the octahedral and tetrahedral sites at 3.8 K are 3.64(16) and 4.23(16) μ_B, respectively.     

Magnetic properties of orthorhombic fluorite-related oxides Ln3SbO7 (Ln=rare earths)

Ternary rare earth antimonates Ln₃SbO₇ (Ln=rare earths) were prepared and their structures were determined by X-ray diffraction measurements. They crystallize in an orthorhombic superstructure of cubic fluorite (space group Cmcm for Ln=La, Pr, Nd; C222₁ for Ln=Nd-Lu), in which Ln³⁺ ions occupy two different crystallographic sites (the 8-coordinated and 7-coordinated sites). Their magnetic properties were characterized by magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements from 1.8 to 400 K. The Ln₃SbO₇ (Ln=Nd, Gd-Ho) compounds show an antiferromagnetic transition at 2.2-3.2 K. Sm₃SbO₇ and Eu₃SbO₇ show van Vleck paramagnetism. Measurements of the specific heat down to 0.4 K for Gd₃SbO₇ and the analysis of the magnetic specific heat indicate that the antiferromagnetic ordering of the 8-coordinated Gd ions occur at 2.6 K, and the 7-coordinated Gd ions order at a furthermore low temperature.     

Magnetic ordering and spin structure in Ca-bearing clinopyroxenes CaM(Si, Ge)2O6, M=Fe, Ni, Co, Mn

The compounds CaFeSi₂O₆ (hedenbergite), CaNiGe₂O₆, CaCoGe₂O₆ and CaMnGe₂O₆ have been synthesized by hydrothermal or ceramic sintering techniques and were subsequently characterized by SQUID magnetometry and powder neutron diffraction in order to determine the magnetic properties and the spin structure at low temperature. All four compounds reveal the well-known clinopyroxene structure-type with monoclinic symmetry, space group C2/c, Z=4 at all temperatures investigated. Below 35 K hedenbergite shows a ferromagnetic (FM) coupling of spins within the infinite M1 chains of edge-sharing octahedra. This FM coupling dominates an antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling between neighbouring chains. The magnetic moments lie within the a-c plane and form an angle of 43° with the crystallographic a-axis. Magnetic ordering in CaFeSi₂O₆ causes significant discontinuities in lattice parameters, Fe-O bond lengths and interatomic Fe-Fe distances through the magnetic phase transition, which could be detected from the Rietveld refinements of powder neutron diffraction data. CaCoGe₂O₆ and CaNiGe₂O₆ show magnetic ordering below 18 K, the spin structures are similar to the one in hedenbergite with an FM coupling within and an AFM coupling of spins between the M1 chains. The moments lie within the a-c plane. The paramagnetic Curie temperature, however, decreases from CaFeSi₂O₆ (+40.2 K) to CaCoGe₂O₆ (+20.1 K) and CaNiGe₂O₆ (−13.4 K), suggesting an altered interplay between the concurring AFM and FM interaction in and between the M1 chains. CaMnGe₂O₆ finally shows an AFM ordering below 11 K. Here the magnetic moments are mainly oriented along the a-axis with a small tilt out from the a-c plane.     

Preparation and crystal structure of ternary rare-earth platinum metal aluminides R2T3Al9 (T=Rh, Ir, Pd) with Y2Co3Ga9-type structure and magnetic properties of the iridium compounds

The ternary aluminides R₂Rh₃Al₉ (R=Y, La-Nd, Sm, Gd-Tm, Lu), R₂Ir₃Al₉ (R=Y, La-Nd, Sm, Gd-Lu), and R₂Pd₃Al₉ (R=Y, Gd-Tm) have been prepared by arc melting of the elemental components with an excess of aluminum and dissolving the aluminum-rich matrix in hydrochloric acid. They crystallize with Y₂Co₃Ga₉-type structure: Cmcm, Z=4. The crystal structures of Ho₂Rh₃Al₉ and Er₂Ir₃Al₉ have been refined from single-crystal X-ray data; Ho₂Rh₃Al₉: a=1316.8(3) pm, b=760.2(2) pm, c=933.7(2) pm, R=0.044 for 255 structure factors and 27 variables; Er₂Ir₃Al₉: a=1313.8(2) pm, b=758.5(1) pm, c=933.8(2) pm, R=0.057 (392 F values, 27 variables). The structure may be viewed as consisting of atomic layers of the compositions A=R₂Al₃ and B=T₃Al₆ which alternate in the sequence ABAB along the z direction. Approximately 33% and 27% of the A layers were found to be misplaced in the crystals investigated for Ho₂Rh₃Al₉ and Er₂Ir₃Al₉, respectively. The magnetic properties of most iridium-containing compounds have been determined with a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. The yttrium and the lanthanum compounds show Pauli paramagnetism, others reflect the magnetic behavior of the rare-earth components. The magnetic ordering temperatures are all lower than 20 K.     

Synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of new layered hexagonal perovskite Ba8Ta4Ru8/3Co2/3O24

A new hexagonal perovskite-type oxide Ba₈Ta₄Ru_8/3Co_2/3O₂₄ was synthesized by the solid-state method at 1573 K and characterized by electron diffraction (ED), time-of-flight (TOF) neutron powder diffraction, and magnetic susceptibility. Structure parameters of Ba₈Ta₄Ru_8/3Co_2/3O₂₄ were refined by the Rietveld method from the TOF neutron powder diffraction data on the basis of space group P6₃/mcm and lattice parameters a=10.0075(1) Å and c=18.9248(2) Å as obtained from the ED data (Z=3). The crystal structure of Ba₈Ta₄Ru_8/3Co_2/3O₂₄ consists of 8-layered (cchc)₂ close-packed stacking of BaO₃ layers along the c-axis. Corner-shared octahedra are filled by Ta only and face-shared octahedra are statistically occupied by Ru, Co, and vacancies. Similar compounds Ba₈Ta₄Ru_8/3M_2/3O₂₄ with M=Ni and Zn were also prepared. Magnetic susceptibility measurements showed no magnetic ordering down to 5 K.