Nature of the magnetic order in Ca3Co2O6.
We present a detailed powder and single-crystal neutron diffraction study of the spin chain compound Ca3Co2O6. Below 25 K, the system orders magnetically with a modulated partially disordered antiferromagnetic structure. We give a description of the magnetic interactions in the system which is consistent with this magnetic structure. Our study also reveals that the long-range magnetic order coexists with a shorter-range order with a correlation length scale of approximately 180 angstroms in the ab plane. Remarkably, on cooling, the volume of material exhibiting short-range order increases at the expense of the long-range order.
Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
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Agrestini
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Chapon
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Daoud-Aladine
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Schefer
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Gukasov
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Mazzoli
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Lees
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Petrenko