Ferrimagnetic and spin-glass transition in the Aurivillius compound SrBi5Ti4Cr0.5Co0.5O18

Abstract

Single-phase polycrystalline SrBi5Ti4CrO18 and SrBi5Ti4Cr0.5Co0.5O18 were synthesized by a modified Pechini method. Both samples have an orthorhombic structure with the space group B2cb. The valence state of Cr is suggested to be +3 and the Co ions exist in the form of Co2+ and Co3+ based on the results of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The sample SrBi5Ti4CrO18 exhibits the paramagnetic state, whereas SrBi5Ti4Cr0.5Co0.5O18 undergoes a ferrimagnetic transition at 89 K originating from the antiferromagnetic coupling of Cr-based and Co-based sublattices. In addition, SrBi5Ti4Cr0.5Co0.5O18 shows a typical spin-glass behavior below 89 K with zν = 6.02 and τ0 = (1.75 ± 0.33) × 10−14 s as evidenced by the results of the frequency dependence of ac susceptibility and magnetic relaxation measurements. In particular, both the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of SrBi5Ti4Cr0.5Co0.5O18 exhibit the characteristics of dielectric relaxation around 89 K with the activation energy of (0.14 ± 0.02) eV, which can be ascribed to the electron hopping of Co2+-VO-Co3+ through the bridging oxygen vacancies.