Synthesis and magnetic properties of the high-pressure scheelite-type GdCrO4 polymorph

Magnetoelectric and Magnetostrictive Effects in Scheelite-Type HoCrO4

Scheelite-type HoCrO₄ was prepared by treating the ambient-pressure zircon-type precursor phase under 8 GPa and 700 K. A long-range antiferromagnetic phase transition is found to occur at T_N ≈ 23 K due to the spin order of Ho³⁺ and Cr⁵⁺ magnetic ions. However, the antiferromagnetic ground state is sensitive to an external magnetic field and a moderate field of about 1.1 T can induce a metamagnetic transition, giving rise to the presence of a large magnetization up to 8.5 μ_B/f.u. at 2 K and 7 T. Considerable linear magnetoelectric effect is observed in the antiferromagnetic state, while the induced electric polarization experiences a sharp increase near the critical field of the metamagnetic transition. Ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity thus rarely coexist under higher magnetic fields in scheelite-type HoCrO₄. Moreover, a magnetic field also plays an important role in the longitudinal constriction of HoCrO₄, and a significant magnetostrictive effect with a value of up to 300 ppm is observed at 2 K and 9 T, which can be attributed to the strong anisotropy of the rare-earth Ho³⁺ ion. Possible coupling between magnetoelectric and magnetoelastic effects is discussed.

High-Pressure Single-Crystal X-ray Diffraction of Lead Chromate: Structural Determination and Reinterpretation of Electronic and Vibrational Properties

We have investigated the high-pressure behavior of PbCrO₄. In particular, we have probed the existence of structural transitions under high pressure (at 4.5 GPa) by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and density functional theory calculations. The structural sequence of PbCrO₄ is different than previously determined. Specifically, we have established that PbCrO₄, under pressure, displays a monoclinic-tetragonal phase transition, with no intermediate phases between the low-pressure monoclinic monazite structure (space group P2₁/ n) and the high-pressure tetragonal structure. The crystal structure of the high-pressure polymorph is, for the first time, undoubtedly determined to a tetragonal scheelite-type structure (space group I4₁/ a) with unit-cell parameters a = 5.1102(3) Å and c = 12.213(3) Å. These findings have been used for a reinterpretation of previously published Raman and optical-absorption results. Information of calculated infrared-active phonons will be also provided. In addition, the pressure dependence of the unit-cell parameters, atomic positions, bond distances, and polyhedral coordination are discussed. The softest and stiffest direction of compression for monazite-type PbCrO₄ are also reported. Finally, the theoretical pressure dependence of infrared-active modes is given, for the first time, for both polymorphs.

Effect of Gd and Cr substitution on the structural, electronic and magnetic phases of SrRuO3: a case study of doping and chemical phase separation

We explore the crystal structure, electrical resistivity and magnetic behavior of the compositional series (SrRuO₃)[Formula: see text] (GdCrO₃) _x (where [Formula: see text]), which resides between orthorhombic ferromagnetic (FM) metal SrRuO₃ ([Formula: see text] K) and orthorhombic antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulator GdCrO₃ ([Formula: see text] K). Crystal structure analysis reveals that complete solid solution exists only up to [Formula: see text], above which chemical phase separation of two/three phases occurs, and persists up to [Formula: see text]. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement also corroborates the existence of [Formula: see text] for the intermediate composition [Formula: see text], which reinforces the astonishing scheelite-type GdCrO₄ formation (at ambient pressure) for [Formula: see text] compositions. Electrical resistivity measurements affirm the temperature driven metal to insulator (M-I) transition for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] samples. Low temperature insulating state in these samples is interpreted by electron-electron interaction of weak disordered systems. Precise analysis of temperature dependent resistivity for [Formula: see text] samples (which have insulating ground state) dictate that the transport phenomenon is mainly associated with Arrhenius-type charge conduction, Mott's variable range hopping, short-range and long-range Coulomb interaction mediated hopping processes, due to the high degree of randomness. Interruption of magnetic Ru-O-Ru interaction by Ru-O-Cr and Cr-O-Cr interactions lowers the FM transition temperature (T _C), and thereby introduces Griffiths phase in phase separated samples. Furthermore, we believe that a sharp rise in magnetization at low temperature for [Formula: see text] samples is due to the formation of AFM GdCrO₄ phase. Prominent thermal hysteresis in temperature dependent magnetization curves for [Formula: see text], and appearance of spin-reorientation transition for [Formula: see text] are the distinct indications for transformation into canted AFM GdCrO₃ oxide at higher x. The effective magnetic moment ([Formula: see text]) continuously increases with the incorporation of higher moment elements (Gd and Cr); while coercive field (H _C) exhibits an abrupt variation as a function of x at the onset of phase separation.

Interplay between 3d-3d and 3d-4f interactions at the origin of the magnetic ordering in the Ba₂LnFeO₅ oxides

A new family of oxides in which 3d-3d and 3d-4f interactions are of comparable strength has been synthesized and characterized both from structural and physical viewpoints. These compounds of formulation Ba2LnFeO5 (Ln  =  Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb) are isotypic to the perovskite derivative Ba2YFeO5. They exhibit an original structure consisting of isolated FeO4 tetrahedra linked via LnO6 (or YO6) octahedra. Magnetic and calorimetric measurements show that all these compounds exhibit a unique, antiferromagnetic transition involving both the 3d and 4f ions. The antiferromagnetic properties of the Ln  =  Y phase (non-magnetic Y(3+)) and of the Ln  =  Eu (non-magnetic ground state multiplet of Eu(3+)) are ascribed to super-super exchange Fe-O-O-Fe interactions, leading to the lowest T(N) (5.5 K for Y and 4.6 K for Eu). The introduction of a magnetic lanthanide, i.e. Ln  =  Sm, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, in the octahedral sites, leads to larger T(N) values (up to 9.8 K for Ln  =  Yb). It is found that several mechanisms must be taken into account to explain the complex evolution of the magnetic properties along the Ba2LnFeO5 series. In particular, the super-exchange Ln-O-Fe, as well as the on-site Ln(3+) magnetocrystalline anisotropy, are suggested to play crucial roles. This Ba2LnFeO5 series offers a rare opportunity to investigate experimentally a situation where the 3d-3d and 3d-4f interactions co-operate on an equal footing to trigger a unique long-range magnetic ordering in insulating oxides.