On the magnetic structure of PrMn2O5: a neutron diffraction study

The long-range magnetic ordering of PrMn2O5 has been studied on polycrystalline samples from neutron diffraction and specific heat measurements. The onset of antiferromagnetic ordering is observed at T-N approximate to 25 K. In the temperature interval 18 K < T < 25 K the magnetic structure is defined by the propagation vector k(1) = (1/2, 0, 0). Below 18 K, some additional magnetic satellites appear in the NPD patterns, which are indexed with k(2) = (0, 0, 1/2). Therefore, below 18 K the magnetic structure consists of two independent magnetic domains, defined by the propagation vectors k(1) and k(2). The magnetic structure of the k(1)-domain is given by the basis vectors (C-x, 0, 0) and (C-x', 0, 0) for Mn(4h) and Mn(4f), respectively. In the k(2)-domain, the magnetic structure is defined by the basis vectors (0, 0, G(z)) and (F-x', G(y)', 0) for Mn(4h) and Mn(4f), respectively. At T = 1.5 K, for the magnetic phase associated with k(1), the magnetic moments of the Mn atoms at the 4h and 4f sites are 1.82(7) and 1.81(6) mu(B), respectively, for the magnetic phase associated with k(2), the magnetic moments for the Mn(4h) and Mn(4f) atoms are 0.59(5) and 2.62(5) mu(B), respectively.

On the magnetic structure of PrMn2O5: a neutron diffraction study Articles