Magnetic behavior of spin-chain compounds, Sr3ZnRhO6 and Ca3NiMnO6, from heat capacity and ac susceptibility studies

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic properties of Sr3ZnRhO6 and Ca3NiMnO6 spin-chain compounds using heat capacity and ac susceptibility measurements, revealing different types of magnetic frustration and ordering behaviors.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the magnetic frustration effects and ordering phenomena in these specific spin-chain compounds through experimental heat capacity and susceptibility data.

Findings

Sr3ZnRhO6 shows inhomogeneous magnetic ordering around 15 K without spin-glass behavior.

Ca3NiMnO6 orders antiferromagnetically at 17 K.

Magnetic frustration manifests differently in the two compounds.

Abstract

Heat-capacity (C) and ac susceptibility measurements have been performed on the spin-chain compounds, Sr3ZnRhO6 and Ca3NiMnO6, to establish their magnetic behavior and to explore whether there are magnetic frustration effects due to antiferromagnetic coupling of the chains arranged in a triangular fashion. While the paramagnetic Curie temperatures have been known to be large with a negative sign, as though antiferromagnetic interaction is very strong, the results establish that (i) the former apparently undergoes inhomogeneous magnetic ordering only around 15 K, however without spin-glass anomalies, and (ii) the latter orders antiferromagnetically at a relatively low temperature (17 K). Thus, the magnetic frustration manifests differently in these compounds.