Magnetic structures of PrMn7O12 : Intersublattice magnetoelastic coupling and incommensurate spin canting

Abstract

We report on the magnetic structures of PrMn7O12, resolving both a high-temperature structure in common with the other R3+Mn7O12 systems and an additional low-temperature phase characterized by a superposed incommensurate (ICM) spin canting. A phenomenological model is developed to account for large magnetoelastic coupling immediately below the Curie temperature, demonstrating that A′B exchange is primarily responsible for the ferrimagnetic structures observed across the R3+Mn7O12 family. Finally, an analytical mean-field minimal model is presented that successfully accounts for all magnetic structures observed in this family of materials, including the canted commensurate and ICM ground states. Published by the American Physical Society 2024