The crystal and magnetic structures of Sr2YRuO6

Time-of-flight powder neutron diffraction data have been used to refine the crystal structure of the ordered, distorted perovskite Sr₂YRuO₆. Yttrium and ruthenium are octahedrally coordinated in this material with average MO bond lengths of 2.202 and 1.955 Å, respectively. Constant wavelength neutron diffraction data show that Sr₂YRuO₆ is a Type I antiferromagnet at 4.2 K with an ordered magnetic moment of 1.85 μ_B per Ru⁵⁺ ion. The Néel temperature of Sr₂YRuO₆ was determined to be 26 K. The data suggest that the 4d³ electrons in this material are localized rather than itinerant.