Temperature-dependent structural and magnetic properties of R 2 MMnO6 double perovskites (R = Dy, Gd; M = Ni, Co)

The structural and magnetic properties of the Dy2CoMnO6, Dy2NiMnO6 and Gd2CoMnO6 double perovskites are investigated using X-ray powder diffraction and squid magnetometry. The materials adopt an orthorhombic structure (space ground Pnma) with disordered Co(Ni)/Mn cations, and exhibit ferrimagnetic transitions near TC ~ 85, 95, and 115 K respectively. TC was found to monotonously depend on the orthorhombic distortion (a − c)/(a + c) of the compounds. The crystal structure of the compounds was investigated as a function of temperature (16–1100 K range), evidencing changes in the BO6 octahedron near TC. The magnetic entropy changes are estimated for comparison of the magnetocaloric properties to those from literature.