Neutron-diffraction studies of the antiferromagnetic–ferromagnetic transition in anion-deficient cobaltites

Abstract

Anion-deficient La_0.5Ba_0.5CoO_2.8 and Y_0.25Ca_0.25Sr_0.5CoO_2.62 cobaltites are studied under pressures up to 6.5 GPa in the temperature range of 5−300 K by neutron powder diffraction. Under ambient pressure both compounds are antiferromagnetic with T_N = 250 K. The applied pressure induces in the first compound a gradual transition from the antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic state through a mixed magnetic state, whereas the second compound remains antiferromagnetic in the whole pressure range. We suggest that the magnetic ground state depends on the unit-cell volume and the magnetic transition is associated with the transition of cobalt ions from the mixed high-spin/low-spin state to the intermediate-spin/low-spin state.