High pressure synthesis and neutron diffraction studies of new magnetic manganites

Abstract

With the discovery of appreciable room temperature magnetoresistance (MR) in high Curie temperature (Tc) ferrimagnetic double perovskites such as Sr2FeMoO6, research surrounding other materials of this type has expanded. Most ferrimagnetic double perovskites of the formula A2BB′O6 have non-magnetic A-site cations, such as Sr2+, Ca2+ or Ba2+. Replacing non-magnetic cations with magnetic variants offers further possibilities to tune magnetic effects. This thesis focuses on the substitution of non-magnetic A-site cations with relatively small magnetic Mn2+ cations. This substitution is made possible through the use of high-pressure/temperature (P/T) synthesis, and the characterisation of structural and magnetic properties of new phases discovered through these syntheses.

The first of these new phases to be reported herein is Mn2FeReO6, which can be described as the Mn analogue of the well-known ferrimagnetic double perovskite Ca2FeReO6. These materials are well ordered with Fe3+/Re5+ on B-sites and crystallise in a P21/n structure. Mn2FeReO6 shows a high Tc of 520 K due to ferrimagnetic Fe/Re magnetic order above RT, and a large saturated magnetisation of 5.0 μB, which peaks at 75 K. Interestingly, the A-site Mn2+ (3d5) magnetic order has the effect of causing a spin reorientation of the Fe/Re sublattice observed by neutron powder diffraction (NPD) at temperatures below ~75 K. This causes the MR to exhibit the expected negative intergrain tunnelling behaviour above the transition and colossal positive behaviour below.

Also reported are a series of perovskite related structures with formulae CaxMn2- xFeReO6 (x = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5). Of particular note among these is CaMnFeReO6, which exhibits 1:1 A-site ordering of Ca/Mn and adopts the P42/n space group. This material belongs to a family of newly discovered ‘double double’ perovskites, in which Ca/Mn order in columns pointing along the c-axis and Mn has alternating tetrahedral and square planar coordination environments. MR in this material remains negative down to 20 K, potentially due to the presence of Ca disrupting magnetic interactions between Mn2+ cations and suppressing the spin transition.

Alternating coordination environments in the double double perovskite structure type were exploited in the synthesis of Ca(Mn0.5Cu0.5)FeReO6. This material also crystallises in the P42/n structure and is well ordered on B-sites, as evidenced by X-ray powder diffraction. Neutron diffraction yields, in addition to columnar order, a slight preference for Cu to occupy the square planar sites and for Mn to occupy tetrahedral sites. This doping of square planar sites with Cu has the effect of enhancing magnetic properties compared to CaMnFeReO6, increasing the saturated magnetisation, raising the ferrimagnetic ordering temperature of the B-sites from 500 to 560 K, and also having a profound effect on the observed MR effects, as a switch in the sign of the MR is observed in this material through a magnetic transition.

Finally, B-site substitution has been experimented with in the synthesis of CaMnMnReO6. This also possesses the combined A and B-site orders observed in CaMnFeReO6 and an unusual magnetic structure, with perpendicular A and B-site magnetism due to frustration, deviating greatly from the magnetic structures of materials with B-site Fe/Re.

In summary, this thesis compiles the synthesis and analysis of a series of new double perovskites, double double perovskites and a new ‘triple double’ five-fold cation ordered structure with a general formula of AA′0.5A′′0.5BB′O6. These materials show that new types of structural ordering can be used to increase the number of degrees of freedom available for tuning the interplay between many different magnetic cations in different coordination environments.