X-ray diffraction study of the temperature-induced structural phase transitions in SmVO3

Abstract

Through powder x-ray diffraction we have investigated the structural behavior of SmVO 3 , in which orbital and magnetic degrees of freedom are believed to be closely coupled to the crystal lattice. We have found, contrary to previous reports, that SmVO 3 exists in a single, monoclinic phase below 200 K. The associated crystallographic distortion is then stabilized through the magnetostriction that occurs below 134 K. The crystal structure has been refined using synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction data measured throughout the structural phase diagram, showing a substantial Jahn-Teller distortion of the VO 6 octahedra in the monoclinic phase, compatible with the expected G-type orbital order. Changes in the vanadium ion crystal field due to the structural and magnetic transitions have then been probed by resonant x-ray diffraction.

Critical behavior study of the spin ordering transition in RVO3 (R = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Er) by means of ac photopyroelectric calorimetry

“…In the case of SmVO 3 , there is a very interesting work where the magnetic susceptibility along the different axis has been measured [20] with the result that the a-axis is an easy axis, while for b the susceptibility is intermediate and c is the hard axis. We have specially checked the pertinence of an Ising-model in the fitting of our experimental curve but no fitting could be found for that universality class, the 3D-XY was the only one found.…”

“…Other differences arise in the particular direction in which the V 3+ spins are placed within the C-type spin ordered phase, which has not been studied for all ions yet. Literature results point to differences between the two big groups (La to Tb, Dy to Lu) [16], some cantings have been proposed [12,[17][18][19] and in some cases particular easy axes have been found for SmVO 3 [20] or GdVO 3 [21], while PrVO3 has been found to behave as a disordered antiferromagnet with random fields [22].…”

Structure Evolution and Reactivity of the Sc(2–x)VxO3+δ (0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0) System

“…The AVO 3 (trivalent vanadium) and AVO 4 (pentavalent vanadium) systems, where A represents trivalent cations (Sc, In, Y, and rare-earths: La–Lu), have been of great interest to the scientific community due to their diverse physical and structural properties. The interesting electronic, , optical, , and magnetic − properties include low-temperature magnetic field-dependent spin reversal, multiferroicity, and successive crystallographic and magnetic transitions . Furthermore, potential applications as secondary lithium ion batteries, laser host materials, and photocatalysts have been proposed.…”

The contribution of Diamond Light Source to the study of strongly correlated electron systems and complex magnetic structures

“…Nevertheless, it is clearly impossible to give due credit to each and every individual piece of research, particularly for beamlines with a vast output in diverse fields such as the Powder Diffraction beamline (I11). We note, however, that synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction has become the tool of choice to determine subtle structural effects in samples synthesized de novo [7] or produced by high-pressure synthesis [8] or to study subtle structural phase transitions [9,10]. X-ray and neutron powder diffraction experiments together produce a powerful combination [11] while resonant X-ray powder diffraction has been used to generate site-selective contrast and determine cation ordering [12].…”