Ferromagnetic Behavior of (Fe1-yZny)2Mo3O8 ($0\leq y\leq 1$) Induced by Nonmagnetic Zn Substitution

We have systematically investigated the magnetic properties of (Fe 1-y Zn y ) 2 Mo 3 O 8 ($0\leq y\leq 1$). The ground state of the parent compound, Fe 2 Mo 3 O 8 ($y = 0$), is an antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulator. The substitution of magnetic Fe 2+ with nonmagnetic Zn 2+ gives rise to ferromagnetic (FM) correlation. With increasing $y$, the FM correlation evolves and becomes the most enhanced with $y = 0.5$. One of the possible explanations for the origin of the FM behavior is that Zn 2+ ions prefer the octahedral oxygen coordination to the tetrahedral one. In addition, the magnetizations when $y = 0.125$ and 0.25 show a stepwise behavior at low temperatures, implying that several magnetic phases are competing with one another.