Neutron diffraction evidence of the 3-dimensional structure of Ba2MnTeO6 and misidentification of the triangular layers within the face-centred cubic lattice

TL;DR

This study uses neutron diffraction to clarify that Ba2MnTeO6 has an undistorted cubic structure, correcting previous misinterpretations of its layered triangular lattice, which impacts understanding its magnetic properties.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates that neutron scattering confirms the undistorted cubic structure of Ba2MnTeO6, correcting prior X-ray based misidentification of layered triangular layers.

Findings

Neutron diffraction confirms cubic structure of Ba2MnTeO6

Previous layered triangular lattice assignment was incorrect

Implications for magnetic property analysis of the material

Abstract

Ba2MnTeO6 was first characterised using X-ray diffraction and reported to show a small distortion1 from the idealised cubic perovskite which displays face-centred cubic arrangement of Mn2+. A recent report has asserted that this leads to a layered configuration of Mn2+ that serves as an example of a triangular lattice, i.e. a 2D structure containing discreet layers.2 Here we show how neutron scattering gives great confidence in establishing the crystal structure being an undistorted cubic phase and how this can be mis-assigned as a triangular layered structure. This has profound implications for the understanding of the magnetic properties of the system.