Magnetic structure and transport properties of atomically disordered crystals of two-dimensional manganites La2−2x Sr1+2x Mn2O7

The magnetic structure and transport properties of partially disordered crystals of two-dimensional manganites La_2?2x Sr_1+2x Mn₂O₇ (x = 0.3, 0.4) are studied over a wide range of temperatures. The crystals are transformed into an atomically disordered state under irradiation with fast neutrons at a dose of 2 × 10¹⁹ cm^?2. The average concentration of substitutional defects in the crystal is ≈4%. It is found that substitutional defects are responsible for the transition of these manganites from the ferromagnetic metal state to the insulator state with a spin glass structure. The results obtained are discussed in terms of the ratio between the kinetic energy of charge carriers and the exchange energy of localized spins.     

Defects and the structure of a manganite La0.85Sr0.15MnO3 crystal

Defects in a ferromagnetic crystal of manganite La_0.85Sr_0.15MnO₃ were created by irradiation with fast neutrons (E > 0.1 MeV). Fast neutrons produce defect clusters in a crystal lattice. The volume fraction of the clusters in the crystal after irradiation to a dose F = 2 × 10¹⁹ cm^?2 (T _irr = 340 K) was ?40%. The structural and magnetic states of the modified manganite were studied using thermal-neutron diffraction and magnetic measurements. It was revealed that neutron irradiation of a crystal suppresses the cooperative Jahn-Teller effect and the initial charge modes and decreases the temperature of ferromagnetic ordering. Under irradiation with fast neutrons, the crystalline structure of the manganite changes from the orthorhombic O′ to the pseudocubic O* phase. Arguments are advanced in favor of the specific features of the irradiated-manganite structural state being determined by long-wavelength strains induced in the crystal by antisite defects.     

Some aspects of antiferromagnetic ordering in LiMnP0.85V0.15O4: Neutron diffraction and DC-magnetization studies

V-substituted LiMnPO₄ has been synthesized by the solid state reaction route. Combined Rietveld refinement of neutron and X-ray data revealed that all vanadium ions are located in the same positions as the phosphorus ions. The magnetic structure of LiMnP_0.85V_0.15O₄ was found to be the same as that described for undoped antiferromagnetic LiMnPO₄ (T_N=34.5 K). DC-magnetization measurements were carried out to study the peculiarities of magnetic ordering in LiMnP_0.85V_0.15O₄. An irreversible behavior of DC magnetization was found at magnetic fields less than ∼2 kOe. It was demonstrated that an increase in the magnitude of the applied field leads to a reduction of the discrepancy between zero-field-cooled and field-cooled processes. These effects were explained by the movement of domain walls and by transition of the system to a monodomain state. The anomaly in the magnetization vs field dependence attributed presumably to the spin-flop transition was observed at ∼40 kOe. The existence of magnetic inhomogeneity in the paramagnetic phase of LiMnP_0.85V_0.15O₄ was proved by the analysis of the χ?T product. It was concluded that the observed changes in χ?T are indicative of a competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic correlations at temperatures slightly exceeding T_N.     

Amorphization of oxides under irradiation with fast neutrons

A variant of the solid-state radiation amorphization as a result of accumulation of the critical concentration of defects in the crystal has been considered using the example of oxides with the garnet and perovskite structures irradiated by fast neutrons. It has been shown that such defects can be antisite defects, the formation of which leads to considerable static displacements from the equilibrium sites of nearest ions and, consequently, to the loss of stability of the crystalline structure. The dependences of the root-mean-square displacements of oxygen ions on the concentration of the antisite defects are constructed based on the analysis of the experimental data. It has been established that the so-called critical concentrations of antisite defects, at which the spontaneous amorphization occurs, differ for oxides with the garnet and perovskite structures. As the criterion of the spontaneous radiation amorphization, it is proposed to consider the critical static displacement of the ions, which is identical for studied oxides and equal to ～0.28 Å, or ～0.14 in fractions of interatomic distances, which is close to the well-known Lindemann melting criterion.     

Magnetic state of nickel-zinc ferrites at high zinc concentrations

Neutron diffraction and magnetic methods are used to investigate ferrites from the system Zn_xFe_1−x [Ni_1−x Fe_1+x ]O₄. In these investigations, no diffraction effects were observed that would indicate ordered positions for the perpendicular projections of spins at 4.2 K over the entire ferrimagnetic range of concentrations x. However, the high-field magnetic susceptibility and intense small-angle scattering of neutrons observed at helium temperatures in samples with x>0.45 are evidence of local angular structures with effective sizes of 1–10 nm. The temperatures at which these local angular structures are disrupted are determined. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1503–1504 (August 1998)     

Destruction of manganite La0.825Ba0.175MnO3 ferromagnetism caused by structural disordering

The methods of neutron diffraction, X‐ray and magnetic measurements were used to study the structural and magnetic states of disordered samples of manganite La_0.825Ba_0.175MnO₃. A disordered state was attained by irradiation with fast neutrons. It was established that the ferromagnet → spin glass‐like magnetic transformation takes place at a substitution concentration of ～6%. A magnetic state diagram of structurally disordered manganite was constructed. The magnetic state transformations are explained by the effect of localization of e _g‐electrons responsible for kinetic ferromagnetic exchange. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Influence of structural defects on magnetic properties of the submicrometer ceramic Mn3O4

A high-density single-phase submicrometer ceramic Mn₃O₄ with a grain size d ≥ 0.06 μm has been obtained by using spherically converging shock waves. The action of shock waves reduces the unit cell volume and increases the Curie temperature T _C . The shape of the temperature dependences of reciprocal susceptibility x ^?1 of a polycrystal and the submicrometer ceramic at T > T _C is hyperbolic, which is typical of ferrimagnets. It is shown that the susceptibility of the ceramic in the region of short-range order at 78 K ≤ T ≤ 300 K is larger than that of the polycrystal, while the field dependences of the magnetization are nonlinear. The bombardment by electrons with a small dose of Φ = 0.8 × 10¹⁸ cm^?2 increases the susceptibility of the submicrometer ceramic as well as that of the polycrystal. When the fluence increases to Φ = 5 × 10¹⁸ cm^?2, the susceptibility decreases, which can be explained by radiation-induced disordering and a change in the “local” exchange interactions.     

Structure and magnetism of the manganite LaMnO3 with defects

The structural and magnetic states of LaMnO₃ samples containing various concentrations of antisite defects created by fast-neutron irradiation were studied by neutron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, and magnetic measurements. It is found that the static uncorrelated displacements of oxygen ions induced by the formation of antisite defects break the Jahn-Teller Q ₂ mode and the initial orthorhombic O′-type structure transforms into the pseudocubic O ^* modification. As a result, the indirect ferromagnetic exchange caused by the overlap of the e _g orbitals of manganese ions and the p _σ orbitals of oxygen ions becomes three-dimensional and the initial A-type antiferromagnetic phase transforms into a canted ferromagnetic phase. The magnetic phase diagram of LaMnO₃ is plotted for various defect concentrations.     

Magnetic state of a Zn<Subscript>1 −<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Cr<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Se bulk crystal

The spin system of a Zn_{1 ?x} Cr _x Se bulk crystal (x = 0.045) was studied using thermal-neutron diffraction and magnetic measurements. Previously, it was reported in the literature that thin films (～200 nm thick) of this type of semiconductors exhibit a ferromagnetic order. In this study, the ferromagnetic order is found to be absent in the bulk crystal.     

Effects of structural disorder in lithium manganite and titanate oxides

The structures and magnetic states of stoichiometric lithium manganite LiMn₂O₄ and manganites and titanates Li_1.33Mn_1.67O₄ and Li_1.33Ti_1.67O₄ with excess lithium in both the initial (as-synthesized) state and after irradiation by fast (E _eff ≥ 1 MeV) neutrons with a fluence of 2 × 10²⁰ cm⁻² have been studied using neutron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and magnetic methods. It has been established that the irradiation brings about a noticeable redistribution of manganese, titanium, and lithium cations over nonequivalent tetrahedral (8a) and octahedral (16d) positions of a spinel lattice. This structural disorder causes a radical change in the physical properties of the materials under study. The charge order existing in the initial LiMn₂O₄ sample is destroyed. There arises a strong intersublattice indirect exchange interaction Mn(8a)-O-Mn(16d). The disorder is accompanied by the antiferromagnet-ferrimagnet (LiMn₂O₄) and paramagnet-ferrimagnet (Li_1.33Mn_1.67O₄) magnetic transitions.