Effects of (Y,Nd)/Mn interaction on the structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of the (Y,Nd)BaCuFe1–xMnxO5+δ system

Abstract

This work explores the effects of Y or Nd interactions with Mn substitutions in the new (Y, Nd)BaCuFe_1−xMn_xO_5+δ compounds with x = 0.00, 0.03, 0.10, and 0.25 (RE- x) focusing on their structural, morphological, and magnetic properties. Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that the (Y, Nd)³⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions predominantly crystallize in a tetragonal structure (P4mm), with variations in tetragonal bond distances dependent on the Mn ion substitution degree. Scanning electron microscopy technique (SEM) revealed polycrystalline morphology with grain shapes that change with cation substitution, consistent with the synthesis method. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) technique confirmed the materials stoichiometry, while attenuated total reflectance-infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy demonstrated the increased anisotropy in metal–oxygen interaction along different crystallographic directions when Y is replaced by Nd. Magnetization curves obtained in the zero-field cold/field cold (ZFC–FC) modes as a function of temperature 50 K up to 400 K show some of the expected characteristics of the magnetic phase transition at temperatures between 176 and 330 K for the Y-based systems, and an increase in the antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition temperature with Mn substitution. The Nd-based systems reveal a paramagnetic (PM) behavior that could be attributed to the dominance exerted by the magnetic moments of the Nd ions.