Study of phase transformations on nano-crystalline (La,Sr)(Mn,Fe)O3 systems by high-pressure Mossbauer spectroscopy

We report pressure-dependent Fe-57 Mossbauer studies on a nano-crystalline perovskite La0.8Sr0.2(Mn0.8Fe0.2) O-3 system up to 10 GPa using diamond anvil cell. At ambient pressure, iron is present as Fe3+ and Fe4+ in two different environments. Pressure seems to affect the higher symmetry site of Fe4+, while the octahedral site containing Fe3+ remains almost unaffected. Phase transformations are observed at pressures 0.52 GPa and 3.7 GPa respectively. A sudden increase in the isomer shift at 0.52 GPa is related to the reduction of Fe4+ ions while at 3.7 GPa, a structural transition is observed with sudden drop in isomer shift indicating Fe3+ ions in identical environment. Quadrupole splittings increase continuously with pressures up to 10 GPa.