PACS 75.25.+z, 75.50.Dd The evolution of crystal and magnetic structures of (La 0.7 Ca 0.3 ) 1-x Mn 1+x O 3 (x = 0, 0.1) as a function of temperature was determined. For both compounds the crystal structure is orthorhombic (space group Pnma) with the following sequence of the lattice constants: b/ 2 < a < c for x = 0 and c < a < b/ 2 for x = 0.1. The para-ferromagnetic transitions at T c = 265 K for x = 0 and 260 K for x = 0.1 are accompanied by structural distortions. For x = 0 the ferromagnetic ordering of the Mn moments equal to 3.57(10)µ B and parallel to the b-axis is stable in the temperature range from 1.5 K to T c . For x = 0.1 at 1.5 K the magnetic order has two components: the ferromagnetic one with the magnetic moment µ = 3.46(12)µ B parallel to the b-axis and the antiferromagnetic one with µ = 0.66(23)µ B parallel to the c-axis. This order is stable up to T t = 45 K. Then the ferromagnetic order only exists up to T c = 260 K. These results correlate well with macroscopic magnetic data. At T c and T t the anomalies in the thermal dependence of Mn-O bond lengths and Mn -O -Mn bond angles are observed.
IntroductionAn intense research effect has recently been devoted to studying the interplay between structure, magnetism and transport in manganese perovskites La 1-x Ca x MnO 3 . With increase of Ca content the change of the properties from an antiferromagnetic insulator for x = 0, through a ferromagnetic insulator, to a ferromagnetic metallic for 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.5 is observed [1]. La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 is a collinear ferromagnet up to the Curie temperature T c = 265 K. In (La 0.7 Ca 0.3 ) 1-x Mn 1+x O 3 samples (x = 0.1; 0.2), the magnetic measurements indicate an additional anomaly at T t = 45 K [2].In this work the results of neutron diffraction measurements as a function of temperature for (La 0.7 Ca 0.3 ) 1-x Mn 1+x O 3 (x = 0, 0.1) samples are presented. From these data the parameters of the crystal and magnetic structure are determined.