Tailoring the ground state of the ferrimagnet La2Ni(Ni1/3Sb2/3)O6

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic and structural properties of La2Ni(Ni1/3Sb2/3)O6, revealing its ferrimagnetic nature and a unique irreversible magnetic behavior below 20 K linked to competing interactions.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the magnetic ground state and irreversible phenomena in La2Ni(Ni1/3Sb2/3)O6, a ferrimagnetic material, through comprehensive structural and magnetic analysis.

Findings

Ferrimagnet with Tc ~ 100 K identified.

Uncommon hysteresis loop feature below 20 K observed.

Ground state can be altered by magnetic demagnetization.

Abstract

We report on the magnetic and structural properties of La2Ni(Ni1/3Sb2/3)O6 in polycrystal, single crystal and thin film samples. We found that this material is a ferrimagnet (Tc ~ 100 K) which possesses a very distinctive and uncommon feature in its virgin curve of the hysteresis loops. We observe that bellow 20 K it lies outside the hysteresis cycle, and this feature was found to be an indication of a microscopically irreversible process possibly involving the interplay of competing antiferromagnetic interactions that hinder the initial movement of domain walls. This initial magnetic state is overcome by applying a temperature dependent characteristic field. Above this field, an isothermal magnetic demagnetization of the samples yield a ground state different from the initial thermally demagnetized one.