%0 Journal Article
%A Pradheesh, R.
%A Xiao, Yinguo
%A Cherian, Dona
%A Elizabeth, Suja
%A Hansen, Thomas
%A Chatterji, Tapan
%A Brückel, Th.
%A Nair, Harikrishnan
%T Magnetization-steps in Y$_{2}$CoMnO$_{6}$ double perovskite: The role of antisite disorder
%J Journal of applied physics
%V 116
%N 12
%@ 1089-7550
%C Melville, NY
%I American Inst. of Physics
%M FZJ-2014-05278
%P 123907 
%D 2014
%X Antisite disorder is observed to have significant impact on the magnetic properties of the double perovskite Y2CoMnO6 which has been recently identified as a multiferroic. A paramagnetic-ferromagnetic phase transition occurs in this material at Tc ≈ 75 K. At 2 K, it displays a strong ferromagnetic hysteresis with a significant coercive field of Hc ≈ 15 kOe. Sharp steps are observed in the hysteresis curves recorded below 8 K. In the temperature range 2 K ≤ T ≤ 5 K, the hysteresis loops are anomalous as the virgin curve lies outside the main loop. The field-cooling conditions as well as the rate of field-sweep are found to influence the steps. Quantitative analysis of the neutron diffraction data shows that at room temperature, Y2CoMnO6 consists of 62% of monoclinic P21/n with nearly 70% antisite disorder and 38% Pnma. The bond valence sums indicate the presence of other valence states for Co and Mn which arise from disorder. We explain the origin of steps by using a model for pinning of magnetization at the antiphase boundaries created by antisite disorder. The steps in magnetization closely resemble the martensitic transformations found in intermetallics and display first-order characteristics as revealed in the Arrott's plots.
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)16
%9 Journal Article
%U <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000342840000048
%R 10.1063/1.4896399
%U https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/171709