Synthesis and Room Temperature Neutron Diffraction
Studies of Pb(Fe2/3W1/3)O3
Shidaling Matteppanavar1, Basavaraj Angadi1,*, Sudhindra Rayaprol2
1
Department of Physics, JB Campus, Bangalore University, Bangalore –560056
UGC-DAE-Consortium for Scientific Research, Mumbai Centre, BARC Campus, Mumbai – 400085
*
Corresponding author’s e-mail: brangadi@gmail.com, Tel.: +91-9972025110
2
Abstract
Magnetic structural studies
Structural and magnetic properties of Pb(Fe2/3W1/3)O3
multiferroic were studied using neutron diffraction technique
(1.48 Å) at 290K. XRD showed the single phase, with cubic
phase. The refinement of ND at 290 K for both nuclear and
magnetic structure revealed cubic structure with a = 3.9828(4)
Å and G-type antiferromagnetic ordering.
Figure 1 shows the room temperature (RT) ND data
which clearly reveals magnetic Bragg peak at 2 =
18.51o (Q = 1.36Å-1). RT nuclear and magnetic
structures refined with the Pm-3m space group. The
presence of iron drives the appearance of magnetic
interactions at above room temperature. This is related
to the existence of Fe where the strong Fe3+-O-Fe3+
super exchange interactions govern the magnetic
behaviour. The magnetic structure was identified to be
of G type.
Keywords: Multiferroics, Neutron diffraction, Magnetic –
Antiferromagnetic, Perovskite.
Introduction
Magnetoelectric (ME) multiferroics have been
investigated extensively in recent years due to the
coexistence of magnetic and electric ordering with a
strong direct/indirect coupling. They also exhibit great
potential for the applications in multifunctional devices
[1]. Such devices can be fabricated using multiferroic
materials, where a strong coupling between magnetic
and electric order parameters exists in distorted
structures. Multiferroics have applications in memory
devices, spintronics, microelectronics etc [1]. Among all
these room temperature (RT) multiferroics discovered
so far PbFe0.67W0.33O3 (PFW) has unique properties with
a high degree of order parameters and practically viable
magnetic (paramagnetic-to-antiferromagnetic ordering
at the TN ~ (350-380 K) and ferroelectric phase
transition temperatures (paraelectric-to-ferroelectric
phase transition 150-200 K) [2].
Synthesis and magnetic studies
The polycrystalline single phase PFW was obtained by a
solid state reaction (SSR) method with low temperature
sintering to reduce the unwanted secondary phases. The
700 C/2hr calcined powder was sintered at 850 C for
90 mins. The sintered pellets were characterized through
the X ray diffraction (Cu-Kα) and Neutron diffraction
(1.48 Å) at room temperature.
Phase
X-Ray diffraction studies confirmed single phase PFW
with no secondary phases. The low temperature
calcination and sintering proved to be effective in
achieving the single.
Figure1. Neutron diffraction pattern of PFN at 290 K.
Acknowledgment
Authors are great full to UGC DAE CSR Mumbai
center for the experimental facility and student
fellowship through CRS-M-159.
References
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S B, Liu B, Viehland D, Vaithyanathan V, Schlom D G,
Waghmare U V, Spaldin N A, Rabe K M, Wuttig M and
Ramesh R (2003) ‘‘Epitaxial BiFeO3Multiferroic thin
film hetrostructures’’ Science 299 1719.
[2] Ivanov S A, Eriksson S G, Tellgren R and Rundlof
H (2004) “ Neutron poweder diffraction study of the
magneto electric relaxor Pb(Fe2/3W1/3)O3” Mater. Res.
Bull. 39 2317.