Influence of the $A$ cation on the low-temperature antiferromagnetism of ordered antiferroelectric $A_2$CoTeO$_6$ perovskites

Abstract

We have investigated the structural and magnetic properties of antiferroelectric $A_2$CoTeO$_6$ perovskites with $A$ = Cd, Ca, Sr, Pb, and Ba. All compounds are antiferromagnetic at low temperatures, with the antiferromagnetic transition temperature slightly decreasing with decreasing ionic size of the $A$ cation. Such a decrease in antiferromagnetic interaction is not observed in $A^{2+}_2$Co$M^{6+}$O$_6$ materials with other $M^{6+}$ cations of similar ionic sizes, suggesting that Te$^{6+}$ cations affect the electronic and in turn the magnetic structure of the system.

REVTeX style; 6 pages, 8 figures