Spin-glass state and long-range magnetic order in Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3

Abstract

We have investigated the magnetic ground-state of the multiferroic relaxor ferroelectric \pfn with $μ$SR spectroscopy and neutron scattering. We find that a transition to a partially disordered phase occurs below T=20 K that coexists with long-range antiferromagnetic ordering. The disordered phase resembles a spin-glass. No clustering of magnetic ions could be evidenced by $μ$SR so that the coexistence appears homogeneous in the sample.