Effect of electron doping on the magnetic correlations in the bilayered brownmillerite compound Ca(2.5-x)La(x)Sr(0.5)GaMn2O8: a neutron diffraction study

J Phys Condens Matter. 2011 Oct 26;23(42):426005. doi: 10.1088/0953-8984/23/42/426005.

Abstract

The effect of electron doping on the magnetic properties of the brownmillerite type bilayered compounds has been investigated by neutron powder diffraction in La substituted Ca(2.5-x)La(x)Sr(0.5)GaMn(2)O(8) compounds (x = 0.05 and 0.1), in comparison with the undoped compound (x = 0). In all compounds, a long-range three-dimensional collinear antiferromagnetic (AFM) structure is found below the Néel temperature T(N) of the respective compound, whereas, well above T(N), three-dimensional short-range magnetic ordering is observed. In the intermediate temperature range just above T(N), a strong effect of electron doping (La substitution) on the magnetic correlations has been observed. Here, a short-range AFM correlation with a possible dimensionality of three has been found for substituted compounds (x = 0.05 and 0.1) as compared to the reported two-dimensional long-range AFM ordering in the parent compound. With increasing electron doping, a decrease in T(N) is also observed. The short-range magnetic correlations set in over a large temperature range above T(N). A magnetic phase diagram in the x-T plane is proposed from these results.