Magneto-dielectric Effect in Relaxor Dipolar Glassy Tb2CoMnO6 Film

TL;DR

This study investigates the magneto-dielectric properties of a Tb2CoMnO6 thin film, revealing a coupling between magnetic and dielectric behaviors near 190 K due to B-site disorder and short-range spin correlations.

Contribution

It demonstrates the coexistence of magneto-dielectric effects and short-range magnetic order in a relaxor dipolar glassy thin film with B-site disorder.

Findings

Magneto-dielectric coupling of 4% observed at T*~190 K.

Presence of short-range spin correlations above the Curie temperature.

Partial B-site disorder confirmed by microscopy and spectroscopy.

Abstract

We report magneto-dielectric properties of partially B-site ordered monoclinic Tb2CoMnO6 double perovskite thin film epitaxially grown by metalorganic aerosol deposition technique. Transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy mapping shows the presence and distribution of both Co2+ and Co3+ ions in the film, evidencing a partial B-site disorder, which was further confirmed by the observation of reduced saturation magnetization at low temperatures. The ferromagnetic Curie temperature, TC=110 K, is slightly higher as compared to the bulk value (100 K) probably due to an in plane tensile strain. Remarkably, a short range ordering of spins at T*~190 K>>TC was established and assigned to the B-site disorder in the film. Two different dielectric relaxation peaks have been observed; they merge at the same temperature T* of short range spin correlations. Moreover, an unexpected high temperature dipolar relaxor-glass-like transition at T~T* was observed, at which a coupling to short range magnetic correlations results in a 4% magneto-dielectric coupling.