Co-existence of ferrimagnetism and spin-glass state in the spinel Co2SnO4.

The nature of magnetic ordering in the inverted spinel Co2SnO4 = [Co2+][Co2+Sn4+]O4 is investigated by measuring the temperature dependence of its magnetization (M) and ac-susceptibilities (χ′ and χ″) in different magnetic fields (H) using a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. The polycrystalline sample with a grain size of 3-5 μm was prepared by the solid-state route and characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Above the ferrimagnetic Néel temperature TN = 41 K, χdc = M/H fits well with the Néel' expression for the two-sublattice model of ferrimagnetism. The ferrimagnetic ordering is suggested to result from different magnetic moments of Co2+ on the A sites (3.87 μB) and B sites (4.16 μB) and antiferromagnetic molecular field constants with magnitudes NAA = 13.6, NBB = 36.8, and NAB = 33.2. The temperature variations of χ′ and χ″ under various dc-bias fields suggest the existence of a spin-glass (SG) phase for T < TSG = 39.1 K in which only the transverse spin components are frozen below TSG. This co-existence of longitudinal ferrimagnetic order below TN = 41 K and transverse SG state below TSG = 39.1 K is suggested to result from the presence of non-magnetic Sn4+ ions on the B sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]