Neutron Diffraction Study of Magnetic and Structural Transitions in Complex Nb-Doped Cobalt Oxides

Abstract

The magnetic and structural transitions in rhombohedral La0.7Sr0.3Co1 – xNbxO3 and cubic La0.3Sr0.7Co1 – xNbxO3 have been studied as a function of Nb content and temperature by using of neutron and X-ray diffraction. The increase in the Nb concentration leads to the gradual increase in the lattice volume and significant decrease in the magnetic moment which completely disappears at the niobium doping level higher than 0.1. No essential structure changes and rhombohedral distortions have been found.