Doped Sr2FeIrO6-Phase Separation and a Jeff ≠ 0 State for Ir5.

ABSTRACT

High-resolution synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data demonstrate that, in contrast to recent reports, Sr2FeIrO6 adopts an I1̅ symmetry double perovskite structure with an a-b-c- tilting distortion. This distorted structure does not tolerate cation substitution, with low levels of A-site (Ca, Ba, La) or Fe-site (Ga) substitution leading to separation into two phases a stoichiometric I1̅ phase and a cation-substituted, P21/ n symmetry, a-a-c+ distorted double perovskite phase. Magnetization, neutron diffraction, and 57Fe Mössbauer data show that, in common with Sr2FeIrO6, the cation substituted Sr2- xA xFe1- yGa yIrO6 phases undergo transitions to type-II antiferromagnetically ordered states at TN ∼ 120 K. However, in contrast to stoichiometric Sr2FeIrO6, cation substituted samples exhibit a further magnetic transition at TA ∼ 220 K, which corresponds to the ordering of Jeff ≠ 0 Ir5+ centers in the cation-substituted, P21/ n symmetry, double perovskite phases.