No Arabic abstract
Identification of kinetic and thermodynamic factors that control crystal nucleation and growth represents a central challenge in materials synthesis. Here we report that apparently defect-free growth of La$_2$MnNiO$_6$ (LMNO) thin films supported on SrTiO$_3$ (STO) proceeds up to $1-5$ nm, after which it is disrupted by precipitation of NiO phases. Local geometric phase analysis and ensemble-averaged X-ray reciprocal space mapping show no change in the film strain away from the interface, indicating that mechanisms other than strain relaxation induce the formation of the NiO phases. $Ab , initio$ simulations suggest that oxygen vacancies become more likely with increasing thickness, due to the electrostatic potential build-up associated with the polarity mismatch at the film-substrate interface, this, in turn, promotes the formation of Ni-rich regions. These results suggest that the precipitate-free region could be extended further by increasing the oxygen chemical potential through the use of an elevated oxygen pressure or by incorporating electron redistributing dopants to suppress the built-in potential.
We present a new member of the multiferroic oxides, Lu$_2$MnCoO$_6$, which we have investigated using X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, specific heat, magnetization, electric polarization, and dielectric constant measurements. This material possesses an electric polarization strongly coupled to a net magnetization below 35 K, despite the antiferromagnetic ordering of the $S = 3/2$ Mn$^{4+}$ and Co$^{2+}$ spins in an $uparrow uparrow downarrow downarrow$ configuration along the c-direction. We discuss the magnetic order in terms of a condensation of domain boundaries between $uparrow uparrow$ and $downarrow downarrow$ ferromagnetic domains, with each domain boundary producing a net electric polarization due to spatial inversion symmetry breaking. In an applied magnetic field the domain boundaries slide, controlling the size of the net magnetization, electric polarization, and magnetoelectric coupling.
We have prepared crystallographically ordered and disorder specimens of the double perovskite, Sr$_2$FeMoO$_6$ and investigated their magnetoresistance behaviour. The extent of ordering between the Fe and Mo sites in the two samples is determined by Rietveld analysis of powder x-ray diffraction patterns and reconfirmed by M{o}ssbauer studies. While the ordered sample exhibits the sharp low-field response, followed by moderate changes in the magnetoresistance at higher fields, the disordered sample is characterised by the absence of the spectacular low-field response. We argue that the low field response depends crucially on the half-metallic ferromagnetism, while the high-field response follows from the overall magnetic nature of the sample, even in absence of the half-metallic state.
We study the magnetic properties of CaFeTi$_2$O$_6$ (CFTO) by high-field magnetization and specific heat measurements. While the magnetic susceptibility data yield a vanishingly small Curie-Weiss temperature, the magnetic moments are not fully polarized in magnetic field up to 60 T, which reveals a large spin exchange energy scale. Yet, the system shows no long range magnetic order but a spin-glass-like state below 5.5 K in zero field, indicating strong magnetic frustration in this system. Applying magnetic field gradually suppresses the spin-glass-like state and gives rise to a potential quantum spin liquid state whose low-temperature specific heat exhibits a $T^{1.6}$ power-law. Crucially, conventional mechanisms for frustration do not apply to this system as it possesses neither apparent geometrical frustration nor exchange frustration. We suggest that the orbital modulation of exchange interaction is likely the source of hidden frustration in CFTO, and its full characterization may open a new route in the quest for quantum spin liquids.
Sr$_2$CuWO$_6$ is a double perovskite proposed to be at the border between two and three dimensional magnetism, with a square lattice of $S=frac{1}{2}$ Cu$^{2+}$ ions. We have used inelastic neutron scattering to investigate the spin wave excitations of the system, to find out how they evolve as a function of temperature, as well as to obtain information about the magnetic exchange interactions. We observed well defined dispersive spin wave modes at $6$~K, which partially survive above the magnetic ordering temperature, $T_N=24$~K. Linear spin wave theory is used to determine the exchange interactions revealing them to be highly two-dimensional in nature. Density functional theory calculations are presented supporting this experimental finding, which is in contrast to a previous emph{ab-initio} study of the magnetic interactions. Our analysis confirms that not the nearest neighbour, but the next nearest neighbour interactions in the tetragonal $ab$ plane are the strongest. Low incident energy measurements reveal the opening of a $0.6(1)$~meV gap below $T_N$, which suggests the presence of a very weak single ion anisotropy term in the form of an easy axis along $hat{mathbf{a}}$.
Ca2-xLaxFeMoO6 double perovskite with La concentration x = 0 to 0.6 was synthesized using solid state sintering route. The standard techniques of XRD, SEM and EDX were applied to characterize the material. Crystal structure of the samples was stabilized in monoclinic phase with space group P2I/n and lattice expansion was indicated with the increase of x. The increase of La concentration gradually suppressed the coexisting minor secondary phase in the material and simultaneously, EDX results indicated the accommodation of more Mo atoms in the crystal structure. A significant modification in the surface morphology of the material was noted from adhesive type surface for x = 0 to brittle type surface with more grain boundary contributions for La doped samples. We understand a significant change in magnetic properties (appearance of cluster glass component, reduction of magnetic moment and indication of higher TC) and in electrical properties (reduction of metallic character) in terms of enhanced internal disorder in the material, introduced due to La doping in double perovskite structure.