Magnetic Structure of the Quasi-One-Dimensional La3OsO7 as Determined by Neutron Powder Diffraction

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic structure of La3OsO7 and its doped variant La2.8Ca0.2OsO7 using neutron powder diffraction, revealing long-range antiferromagnetic order and specific magnetic moments in these quasi-one-dimensional materials.

Contribution

First detailed neutron diffraction analysis of La3OsO7's magnetic structure, including effects of hole doping on magnetic moments and ordering.

Findings

Long-range magnetic order established with propagation vector k = 1/2, 1/2, 0.

Magnetic moments of 1.7 μB for La3OsO7 and 1.2 μB for doped variant.

Comparison with other isostructural Ln3MO7 compounds.

Abstract

Insulating 5d3 La3OsO7 and hole doped La2.8Ca0.2OsO7 materials featuring well separated pseudo-one-dimensional zig-zag chains of corner-sharing OsO6 octahedra have been synthesized and their magnetic and electrical transport properties characterized. Long range magnetic order between the antiferromagnetic chains is determined with a propagation vector k = 1/2, 1/2, 0 and TN = 45 and 53 K for the parent and doped materials. An Os5+ moment of 1.7(1) {\mu}B for La3OsO7 and 1.2(2) {\mu}B for La2.8Ca0.2OsO7 is refined. The long range magnetic structure is compared to the few currently known for isostructural Ln3MO7 compounds.