Antiferromagnetism, spin-glass state, H–T phase diagram, and inverse magnetocaloric effect in Co2RuO4

Static and dynamic magnetic properties of normal spinel Co2RuO4 = (Co2+) are reported based on our investigations of the temperature (T), magnetic field (H) and frequency (f) dependence of the ac-magnetic susceptibilities and dc-magnetization (M) covering the temperature range T = 2 K–400 K and H up to 90 kOe. These investigations show that Co2RuO4 exhibits an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at TN ∼ 15.2 K, along with a spin-glass state at slightly lower temperature (TSG) near 14.2 K. It is argued that TN is mainly governed by the ordering of the spins of Co2+ ions occupying the A-site, whereas the exchange interaction between the Co2+ ions on the A-site and randomly distributed Ru3+ on the B-site triggers the spin-glass phase, Co3+ ions on the B-site being in the low-spin non-magnetic state. Analysis of measurements of M (H, T) for T < TN are used to construct the H–T phase diagram showing that TSG shifts to lower T varying as H2/3.2 expected for spin-glass state whereas TN is nearly H-independent. For T > TN, analysis of the paramagnetic susceptibility (χ) vs. T data are fit to the modified Curie–Weiss law, χ = χ0 + C/(T + θ), with χ0 = 0.0015 emu mol−1Oe−1 yielding θ = 53 K and C = 2.16 emu-K mol−1Oe−1, the later yielding an effective magnetic moment μeff = 4.16 μB comparable to the expected value of μeff = 4.24 μB per Co2RuO4. Using TN, θ and high temperature series for χ, dominant exchange constant J1/kB ∼ 6 K between the Co2+ on the A-sites is estimated. Analysis of the ac magnetic susceptibilities near TSG yields the dynamical critical exponent zν = 5.2 and microscopic spin relaxation time τ0 ∼ 1.16 × 10−10 sec characteristic of cluster spin-glasses and the observed time-dependence of M(t) is supportive of the spin-glass state. Large M–H loop asymmetry at low temperatures with giant exchange bias effect (HEB ∼ 1.8 kOe) and coercivity (HC ∼ 7 kOe) for a field cooled sample further support the mixed magnetic phase nature of this interesting spinel. The negative magnetocaloric effect observed below TN is interpreted to be due to the AFM and SG ordering. It is argued that the observed change from positive MCE (magnetocaloric effect) for T > TN to inverse MCE for T < TN observed in Co2RuO4 (and reported previously in other systems also) is related to the change in sign of (∂M/∂T) vs. T data.