An Interplay Between Sublattices of Phase Stabilized Sm2femno6 and Its Effect on the Optical, Magnetic and Dielectric Properties

The double perovskite Sm 2 FeMnO 6 offers combined physical properties of the two alternatively arranged sublattices SmFeO 3 and SmMnO 3 , making it a technologically feasible functional material. Sm 2 FeMnO 6 crystallizes in a distorted orthorhombic Pbnm symmetry with a random distribution of Mn and Fe ions over B-cation sublattice. It exhibits phonon modes concurrent to the existence of (Fe/Mn)O 6 octahedra and Jahn-Teller distortion due to Mn ions. Both Fe and Mn ions present at the alternate octahedral sites have trivalent state. Temperature and field dependent magnetization measurements on Sm 2 FeMnO 6 illustrate multiple transitions, also evidenced by pronounced peaks in the DSC heat flow curves. The Griffiths-like phase in the paramagnetic region is observed. The transition temperatures are lowered compared to the single perovskite SmFeO 3 indicating the influence of Mn ions from SmMnO 3 sublattice on the exchange integral chains. Thermally activated dielectric relaxation processes in the vicinity of spin reorientation transition region of SmFeO 3 sublattice are observed. Thus, the effect of the intermixing of SmFeO 3 and SmMnO 3 sublattices on various physical properties of Sm 2 FeMnO 6 double perovskite opens up new avenues in the field of magnetoelectric applications.