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Developments in Ceramic Materials Research

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126<br />

José M. Rojo, José L. Mesa and Teófilo Rojo<br />

Therefore, a three-dimensional (3D) antiferromagnetic coupl<strong>in</strong>g is formed by<br />

ferromagnetic layers <strong>in</strong> the (100) plane disposed antiparallel between them. This overall<br />

antiferromagnetic arrangement is ordered with superexchange <strong>in</strong>teractions between moments<br />

of one chromium atom with its six nearest neighbors via (PO4) tetrahedra. The magnetic<br />

order<strong>in</strong>g is similar to that obta<strong>in</strong>ed for Mo(PO3)3. However, the magnetic moments <strong>in</strong> the Cr<br />

metaphosphate are ferromagnetically ordered along the z direction <strong>in</strong> the (010) plane with an<br />

angle of 13° over the x axis (see Figure 22) whereas <strong>in</strong> the Mo phase the magnetic moments<br />

are along the x axis. This different order<strong>in</strong>g is probably the orig<strong>in</strong> of the small differences<br />

observed <strong>in</strong> the magnetic behavior, where a good fit to a Heisenberg simple cubic<br />

antiferromagnetic system (S= 3/2) <strong>in</strong> the Cr(PO3)3 phase was not possible. The magnetic<br />

structure of Fe(PO3)3 is qualitatively different with ferromagnetic arrangements along the x<br />

and y directions and antiferromagnetic coupl<strong>in</strong>gs along the z axis.<br />

The thermal evolution of the D1B neutron diffraction patterns from 1.8 to 8.5 K for<br />

Cr(PO3)3 is shown <strong>in</strong> Figure 23(a). The extra magnetic peaks, which are caused by the<br />

antiferromagnetic long-range magnetic order<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the sample, appear below 5 K. The lower<br />

3D magnetic order<strong>in</strong>g temperature with respect to the Fe(PO3)3 metaphosphate (TN≅ 9 K)<br />

could be attributed to the higher sp<strong>in</strong> number <strong>in</strong> Fe(III) (S= 5/2) than <strong>in</strong> Cr(III) (S= 3/2). The<br />

<strong>in</strong>tensity of the magnetic reflections <strong>in</strong>creases without reach<strong>in</strong>g a maximum at 1.8 K probably<br />

due to the low temperature at which the three-dimensional antiferromagnetic order<strong>in</strong>g<br />

appears. The thermal variation of the ref<strong>in</strong>ed magnetic moments is shown <strong>in</strong> Figure 23(b).<br />

The Mx ref<strong>in</strong>ed magnetic components are always higher than those of the Mz components<br />

and both curves seem to <strong>in</strong>dicate the presence of a first contribution of the Mx moment near<br />

the order<strong>in</strong>g temperature.<br />

Figure 23 (Cont<strong>in</strong>ued).<br />

a

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