New insights into the magnetic properties of LaErO₃, (La_0.5Er_0.5)₂O₃and (La_0.5Dy_0.5)₂O₃oxides

Abstract

Orthorhombic LaErO3 and cubic (La0.5 Ln 0.5)2O3 oxides (Ln: Er, Dy) were examined by neutron powder diffraction between 1.5 K and 15 K in order to investigate their crystallographic and magnetic structures. At 1.5 K both LaErO3 and (La0.5Er0.5)2O3 display a magnetic moments ordering, whereas for (La0.5Dy0.5)2O3 only short range magnetic correlations can be argued, suggesting a possible magnetic moments ordering at lower temperature. LaErO3 is characterized by a magnetic wavevector k = (0, 0, 0) and forms an antiferromagnetic G x C y A z -type structure belonging to the [Formula: see text] Shubnikov group with a total magnetic moment of 6.78(3) μ B. The antiferromagnetic structure of (La0.5Er0.5)2O3 is similar to the one typical of Er2O3, with a total magnetic moment of 4.28(2) μ B at both different magnetic sites; it is characterized by k = (0, 0, 0) and belongs to the magnetic [Formula: see text] Shubnikov group.