The effect of Ca-substitution in La-site on the magnetic properties of La2CoMnO6

Double perovskite La2-xCaxCoMnO6 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5) ceramics samples were synthesized by the standard solid-state reaction method. The crystal structures have been confirmed to be monoclinic perovskite structure with space group of P2(1)/n at room temperature by the powder x-ray diffraction (Cu-K alpha). The grains of the samples are relatively dense and distribute in random directions from the scanning electron microscope patterns. Holes are doped into La2CoMnO6 with the substitution of the Ca2+ ions in La-site, and further lead to the valences of Mn ions and Co ions transforming from Mn4+ and Co2+ to Mn3+ and Co3+, respectively. Ferromagnetic coupling of Mn4+-O2--Co2+ and antiferromagnetic coupling of Mn3+-O2--Co3+ are coexistent in La2-xCaxCoMnO6 system, which correspond to two transitions existed in field-cooling magnetization versus temperature curves. Curie temperature of La2-xCaxCoMnO6 system decreases with the increasing of Ca-substitution amount. The coexistence of different magnetic phases leads to the exchange bias effect. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.