High temperature magnetic ordering in the 4d perovskite SrTcO3

Phys Rev Lett. 2011 Feb 11;106(6):067201. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.067201. Epub 2011 Feb 7.

Abstract

We present evidence for possibly the highest magnetic ordering temperature in any compound without 3d transition elements. Neutron powder diffraction measurements, at both time-of-flight and constant wavelength sources, were performed on two independently prepared SrTcO3 powders. SrTcO3 adopts a distorted perovskite structure with G-type antiferromagnetic ordering and has a moment of 1.87(4)μB per Tc cation at room temperature with an extraordinarily high Néel point close to 750 °C. Electronic structure calculations reveal extensive mixing between the technetium 4d states and oxygen states proximal to the Fermi level. This hybridization leads to a close relationship between magnetic ordering temperature and moment formation in SrTcO3.