Structural and magnetic properties of Yb1-xSrxMnO3

The structural and magnetic properties of YbMnO3 and Yb0.82Sr0.18MnO3 multiferroics were studied by neutron powder diffraction (NPD), magnetometry and electron spin resonance (ESR) technics in a wide temperature range. Neutron diffraction measurements showed that the substitution of ytterbium ions with strontium ions in hexagonal h - YbMnO3 (space group P6(3)cm) leads to the destabilization of the crystal structure of the last compound and appearance of the mixture of three phases with different structure: hexagonal phase h - Yb0.95Sr0.05MnO3 (space group P6(3)cm), orthorhombic phase o - Yb0.69Sr0.31MnO3 (space group Pbnm), hexagonal phase SrMnO3 (space group P6(3)cm). This fact was proved by the ESR measurements in which a several signals due to the phases of different structure were observed. NPD measurements showed that the magnetic structure of h - Yb0.95Sr0.05MnO3 phase is similar to the magnetic structure of the pure h - YbMnO3 and demonstrate the presence of the antiferromagnetic ordering in the samples. ESR and magnetization measurements of h - YbMnO3 sample proved the presence of the antiferromagnetic correlations and also they showed the appearance of the ferromagnetically correlated nanoregions.