Negative spontaneous magnetization and semi-spin glass magnetic order in mixed spinel Co{sub 0.6}Zn{sub 0.4}Fe{sub 1.7}Mn{sub 0.3}O{sub 4}
In this paper, we establish the negative spontaneous magnetization in Mn and Zn substituted cobalt ferrite Co{sub 0.6}Zn{sub 0.4}Fe{sub 1.7}Mn{sub 0.3}O{sub 4} (CZFMO). It is suggested that the origin of negative spontaneous magnetization is due to the substitution of small sized Mn{sup +4} ions (compared to Fe{sup +3} ions) at the octahedral B site in compound Co{sub 0.6}Zn{sub 0.4} Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. The low value of Poisson's ratio ∼0.202 for this compound possibly contributes towards the easy distortion in the bond length and bond angle, causing increase in Fe-O bond distance/decrease in Fe-O-Fe bond angle with Mn substitution, leading to considerably weak Fe-O-Fe superexchange interaction at the octahedral B site. The neutron diffraction data clearly illustrated the significant reduction in ordered magnetic moment at the B site, with the resultant negative spontaneous magnetization (M = M{sub B} − M{sub A}) in this mixed spinel system. The spin disorder also gives rise to an interesting semi-spin glass behavior in CZFMO.