Magnetic properties of the antiferromagnetic double perovskite Ba2PrRuO6

The ordered perovskite compound Ba2PrRuO6 is prepared and its magnetic properties are investigated. The Rietveld analysis of the neutron diffraction profiles measured at 150 K shows that the Pr3+ and Ru5+ ions are arranged with regularity over the six-coordinate B sites of the perovskite ABO3 and that Ba2PrRuO6 belongs to space group P21/n, with a = 6.0063(5), b = 5.9863(4), c = 8.4677(7) A and 90.04(2)°. The magnetic susceptibility and the heat capacity measurements show that this compound transforms to an antiferromagnetic state below 117 K. From the neutron diffraction patterns measured at 7 K, the magnetic structure is determined to be of Type I and the magnetic moments of Pr3+ and Ru5+ are estimated to be 2.2(1) and 2.0(2) µB, respectively. Their values are discussed on the basis of theoretical calculations for the crystal field splitting.