Magnetic and neutron diffraction study on the ordered perovskite Sr2HoRuO6

Magnetic properties of an ordered perovskite compound Sr2HoRuO6 have been reported. Powder neutron diffraction measurements at 10 K, 25 K and room temperature were performed to investigate the crystal and magnetic structures of Sr2HoRuO6. As a result of the refinement of the data collected at room temperature, it was found that the crystal structure of this compound is a distorted perovskite [a = 5.7710(3) Angstrom, b = 5.7801(3) Angstrom, c = 8.1640(4) Angstrom and beta = 90.200(3)degrees] with space group P2(1)/n and a 1:1 ordered arrangement of Ru5+ and Ho3+ over the six-coordinate B sites. Data collected at 10 and 25 K show that Sr2HoRuO6 has a long range antiferromagnetic ordering involving both Ru5+ and Ho3+. The direction of the magnetic moments is along the c-axis. Each of these orders in a type I arrangement and these magnetic moments are antiparallel in the ab-plane with each other. Magnetic susceptibility measurements from 5 to 300 K showed the existence of a magnetic transition at 36 K and divergence between zero-field and field cooled conditions below this temperature. The field-dependence of the magnetization was measured and a small magnetic hysteresis loop was found below the divergence temperature indicating the existence of a weak ferromagnetic moment associated with the antiferromagnetism.