Neutron powder diffraction study on the magnetic ordering and structure of LixMn3-x-yFeyO4spinels

Abstract

Crystal and magnetic structures of a LixMn3-x-yFeyO4 single phase solid solutions series, formed between the normal spinel LiMn2O4 and the inverse spinel Li0.5Fe2.5O4, have been studied using neutron powder diffraction. We present new results on the changes in cation distribution over the tetrahedral and octahedral spinel sublattices, and the crystal structure refinements resulting from Rietveld analysis of neutron powder diffraction data. Single phase spinel solid solutions, with the molar fraction nFe=Fe:(Fe+Mn) = 0.1-0.5, have been investigated. The samples reveal different magnetic properties, from antiferromagnetic ordering at low temperature for nFe=0.1, to the distinct ferrimagnetic (uncompensated antiferromagnetic) exchange occurring between A and B sites in AB2O4 for nFe=0.472.