Determination of the Magnetic Structure of Manganese Pyrophosphate Mn₂P₂O₇ by Neutron Diffraction.

Abstract

Magnetic Structure of antiferromagnetic Mn₂P₂O₇ at 4.2º K has been established by neutron diffraction from a powder specimen. The magnetic unit cell is found to be the same size as the chemical unit cell. The spins are arranged in ferromagnetic sheets with the moments in each sheet aligned antiferromagnetically relative to its adjacent sheets. Neutron diffraction results in regard to the critical temperature (13±3)º K, and the spine being at an angle of 23º from the a-axis in the a-c plane have been found consistent with the ones obtained by Fowlis, Atkinson, Choh and Stager by susceptibility and NMR studies on the material. However, to confirm the angle with some precision, more work, probably with a single crystal, will be required.