The crystal and magnetic structures of LaCa2Fe3-xMxO8 (M=Al, Ga, In)
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Date
2012-06-27
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Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
LaCa2Fe3O8 (A3B3O8) is an example of a layered structure in that it consists of pairs of octahedral, perovskite-like layers alternating with a single tetrahedral layer. This work explores the doping of non-magnetic group 13 elements, M=Al, Ga and In, onto the B-site of LaCa2Fe3−xMxO8 as a function of x. The structural and magnetic effects are examined using a combination of neutron and X-ray diffraction. Solubility limits are established. It is found that for M=Ga the solubility limit occurs between x=1.0 and x=1.25, for the synthesis conditions used, while there is evidence for low ( x < 0.25 ) but non-zero substitution of Al. Structural refinements at x=1 suggest that Ga prefers neither the tetrahedral nor octahedral sites. The magnetic structure of LaCa2Fe2GaO8 has been examined using neutron diffraction at 3.2 K and room temperature. At low temperature the staggered moment per Fe3+ is 3.8 ( 1 ) μ B in LaCa2Fe3O8 and 4.8 ( 1 ) μ B in LaCa2Fe2GaO8. The magnetic space group (P2b21′ma′) and moment direction (along c) does not appear to change with Ga substitution. © 2012, Elsevier Ltd.
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Keywords
Antiferromagnetism, Magnetism, Perovskite, Neutron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, Crystal structure
Citation
Goossens, D. J., Henderson, L. S. F., Trevena, S., Hudspeth, J. M., Avdeev, M., & Hester, J. R. (2012). The crystal and magnetic structures of LaCa2Fe3-xMxO8 (M=Al, Ga, In). Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 196, 238-242. doi:10.1016/j.jssc.2012.06.029