Flux Growth and Raman Spectroscopy Study of Cu<sub>2</sub>CrBO<sub>5</sub> Crystals

oleh: Evgeniya Moshkina, Evgeniy Eremin, Maxim Molokeev, Dieter Kokh, Alexander Krylov

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2023-09-01

Deskripsi

Multicomponent flux systems based on both Li<sub>2</sub>WO<sub>4</sub>-B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-Li<sub>2</sub>O-CuO-Cr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-MoO<sub>3</sub>-B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-Na<sub>2</sub>O-CuO-Cr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> were studied in order to grow Cu<sub>2</sub>CrBO<sub>5</sub> crystals. The conditions for Cu<sub>2</sub>CrBO<sub>5</sub> crystallization were investigated by varyingthe component ratios, and the peculiarities of their interaction were characterized by studying the formation sequence of high-temperature crystallizing phases. Special attention was paid to the problem of Cr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> solubility. Phase boundaries between CuCrO<sub>2</sub>, Cu<sub>2</sub>CrO<sub>4</sub>, and Cu<sub>2</sub>CrBO<sub>5</sub> were considered. The crystal structure of the obtained samples was studied viasingle crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. The chemical composition of the grown crystals was examined using the EDX technique. Anactual ratio of Cu:Cr = 1.89:1.11 was found for Cu<sub>2</sub>CrBO<sub>5</sub> grown from the lithium-tungstate system, which showed a small deviation from 2:1, implying the presence of a part of bivalent Cr<sup>2+</sup> in the samples. Anomalies in the thermal dependence of magnetization were analyzed and compared with the previously obtained data for Cu<sub>2</sub>CrBO<sub>5</sub>. The anomaly at <i>T</i><sub>C</sub> ≈ 42 K and the antiferromagnetic phase transition at <i>T</i><sub>N</sub> ≈ 119 K were considered. Polarized Raman spectra of Cu<sub>2</sub>CrBO<sub>5</sub> were obtained for the first time, and a comparative analysis of the obtained data with other monoclinic and orthorhombic ludwigites is presented. Along with the polarized room temperature spectra, the thermal evolution of Raman modes near the antiferromagnetic phase transition temperature <i>T</i><sub>N</sub> ≈ 119 K is provided. The influence of the magnetic phase transition on the Raman spectra of Cu<sub>2</sub>CrBO<sub>5</sub> is discussed.