Effect of Mn doping on structural and magnetic susceptibility of C-type rare earth nano oxides Er2−xMnxO3

The manganese doped rare earth oxides Er2−xMnx O3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.20) were synthesized by a sol–gel process and analyzed by X-ray diffraction using Rietveld refinement methods. A single phase solid solution is formed up to x = 0.15 while for x ≥ 0.2 a manganese oxide phase appears in the diffraction pattern. Preferential cationic distribution between the non-equivalent sites 8b and 24d of space group Ia3¯ is found for all samples but to a different extent. The octahedral volume and average bond length of Er1O for 8b site decrease while both octahedral volume and bond length of Er2O for 24d site increase. Magnetization measurements were done in the temperature range 5–300 K. The effective magnetic moment μeff is found to decrease with composition parameter x, except for sample x = 0.05 where the magnetization is enhanced. The Curie-Weiss paramagnetic temperatures indicate antiferromagnetic interaction.

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► Er2−xMnx·O3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.20) prepared by sol–gel method.
► The change in lattice parameter is not linear with x due to the change in crystallite size with doping.
► Anomalous concentration dependence is found in magnetic susceptibility.
► The effective magnetic moment μeff is found to decrease with composition parameter x.
► Superexchange interactions between Er ions depending on the amount of Mn or Er in different sites.