Structural and magnetic properties of Mn3−xCdxTeO6 (x=0, 1, 1.5 and 2)

Mn₃TeO₆ exhibits a corundum-related A₃TeO₆ structure and a complex magnetic structure involving two magnetic orbits for the Mn atoms Ivanov et al., 2011 3]]. Mn_3−xCd_xTeO₆ (x=0, 1, 1.5, and 2) ceramics were synthesized by solid state reaction and investigated using X-ray powder diffraction, electron microscopy, and calorimetric and magnetic measurements. Cd²⁺ replaces Mn²⁺ cations without greatly affecting the structure of the compound. The Mn and Cd cations were found to be randomly distributed over the A-site. Magnetization measurements indicated that the samples order antiferromagnetically at low temperature with a transition temperature that decreases with increasing Cd doping. The nuclear and magnetic structure of one specially prepared ¹¹⁴Cd containing sample: Mn_1.5¹¹⁴Cd_1.5TeO₆, was studied using neutron powder diffraction over the temperature range 2-295 K. Mn_1.5¹¹⁴Cd_1.5TeO₆ was found to order in an incommensurate helical magnetic structure, very similar to that of Mn₃TeO₆ Ivanov et al., 2011 3]]. However, with a lower transition temperature and the extension of the ordered structure confined to order 240(10) Å.