Spin-glass behavior and incommensurate modulation in high-pressure perovskite BiCr0.5Ni0.5O3

Inorg Chem. 2015 Feb 2;54(3):832-6. doi: 10.1021/ic502012p. Epub 2014 Oct 2.

Abstract

The BiCr(0.5)Ni(0.5)O(3) perovskite has been obtained at high pressure. Neutron and synchrotron diffraction data show a Pnma orthorhombic structure with a = 5.5947(1) Å, b = 7.7613(1) Å, and c = 5.3882(1) Å at 300 K and random B-site Cr/Ni distribution. Electron diffraction reveals an incommensurate modulation parallel to the b axis. The combination of either Cr-O-Ni (J > 0) or Cr-O-Cr/Ni-O-Ni (J < 0) nearest-neighbor spin interactions results in a random-bond spin-glass configuration. Magnetization, neutron diffraction, and muon-spin-relaxation measurements demonstrate that variations in the local bonding and charge states contribute to the magnetic frustration.