Spin reorientation behavior in YMn1-xMxO3 (M = Ti, Fe, Ga; x = 0, 0.1)

TL;DR

This study investigates how doping YMnO3 with Ti, Fe, or Ga alters its magnetic structure and frustration behavior, revealing doping-specific magnetic phase transitions and reorientations using neutron diffraction and magnetic measurements.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the effects of Ti, Fe, and Ga doping on the magnetic structures and frustration in YMnO3, highlighting doping-dependent magnetic reorientations and structural modifications.

Findings

Doping influences both TN and magnetic structure, unlike previous dopants.

Ti doping results in a magnetic structure described by the {a2}Gamma{a2}2 irreducible representation.

Fe doping causes a spin reorientation around 35 K, altering magnetic structure.

Abstract

The structural and magnetic properties of polycrystalline YMn1-xMxO3 (M = Ti, Fe, Ga; x = 0, 0.1) have been studied by neutron powder diffraction and magnetic measurements to probe the effect of Mn site doping on the frustration behavior and magnetic structure of these compounds. The compounds are isostructural and crystallize with hexagonal structure in P63cm space group. We find that doping with these three ions, Ti4+ (d0), Fe3+ (d5) and Ga3+ (d10), influences both the TN and magnetic structure, unlike other Mn-site dopants reported previously. The magnetic structure of YMnO3 is described by considering a linear combination of irreducible representations {\Gamma}3 and {\Gamma}4 below TN ~ 75K and with decrease in temperature the ratio of {\Gamma}3 and {\Gamma}4 changes. The mixing ratio of these two irreducible representations remains constant on lowering of temperature in the Ga doped compounds. The magnetic structure is modified on doping with nonmagnetic ion Ti4+ (d0). It is described by the basis vectors of the irreducible representation {\Gamma}2 with moment 2.3{\mu}B at 6 K. On doping with Fe3+ (d5) the magnetic structure immediately below TN is explained by considering the {\Gamma}3 irreducible representation. On further lowering of temperature, a spin reorientation at ~ 35 K is observed. Below this temperature, the magnetic structure of YMn0.9Fe0.1O3 is explained by considering {\Gamma}3 representation with 51% mixing of {\Gamma}4. The ordered moments are found to be reduced from the expected value for a Mn3+ ion in all these compounds indicating the frustrated nature of these compounds. However, the frustration parameter, f is significantly reduced in the case of Ti doped compound with {\Gamma}2 representation.