Magnetic characterization of Pr₂BaCuO₅

Abstract

The magnetic behaviour of Pr 2 BaCuO 5 oxide has been studied by means of magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, specific heat and neutron powder diffraction at low temperatures. This oxide behaves as an antiferromagnetic with a Néel temperature of 13.7 K and the magnetic structure can be described on the basis of a wavevector k = [0, 0, 0]. The Cu 2+ magnetic moments are aligned along the c-axis of the crystal structure, while the Pr 3+ magnetic moments lie in the ab-plane with a small component along the c-axis. The experimental values of the ordered moments at 2 K are 0.9(3) and 0.8(3) μ B for copper and praseodymium ions, respectively. The obtained set of crystal field parameters reproduces the paramagnetic susceptibility measurements and justifies the low experimental ordered moment of the Pr 3+ ion.