Eur. Phys. J. B 47, 79-83 (2005)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2005-00308-y

Single crystal neutron diffraction study of the magnetisation process in Ca₃Co₂O₆

¹ University of Warwick, Department of Physics, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
² ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
³ Laboratoire CRISMAT, UMR 6508, Boulevard du Maréchal Juin, 14050 Caen Cedex, France

Corresponding author: ^a O.Petrenko@warwick.ac.uk

Received: 27 April 2005
Revised: 24 June 2005
Published online: 21 September 2005

Abstract

We have performed neutron diffraction measurements on a single crystal sample of Ca₃Co₂O₆ both in a zero field and in an applied magnetic field. The measurements have revealed details of the zero-field structure of this geometrically frustrated Ising-like spin-chain compound at low temperatures and have also allowed us to examine its magnetisation process. Transitions to the ferrimagnetic state and fully polarised ferromagnetic state have been observed. The neutron scattering results are compared with the magnetisation data, where these transitions are accompanied by the appearance of several steps and plateaux.