Magnetic order and phase transition in the iron oxysulfide La2O2Fe2OS2

The Mott-insulating iron oxychalcogenides exhibit complex magnetic behaviour and we report here a neutron diffraction investigation into the magnetic ordering in La2O2Fe2OS2. This quaternary oxysulfide adopts the anti-Sr2MnO2Mn2Sb2-type structure (described by space group I4/mmm) and orders antiferromagnetically below TN = 105 K. We consider both its long-range magnetic structure and its magnetic microstructure, and the onset of magnetic order. It adopts the multi-k vector “2k” magnetic structure (k = (1/2 0 1/2) and k = (0 1/2 1/2) and has similarities with related iron oxychalcogenides, illustrating the robust nature of the “2k” magnetic structure.