Significant magneto-elastic coupling at Griffiths-like phase boundaries in low dimensional oxides, ASb2O6 (A = Ni and Mn)

Abstract

Abstract The compounds, NiSb2O6 (NSO) and MnSb2O6 (MSO) attract the community for the quasi one-dimensional and layered structure composed of Ni2+ and Mn2+, which orders antiferromagnetically at T N = 6.7 and 12 K, respectively. Here, we report the Griffiths-like phase much above T N in the range of 37–85 K and 25–80 K for NSO and MSO, respectively. The dc magnetization results indicate the Griffiths-like phase, following the modified Curie–Weiss law. The magneto-capacitive responses for both the compounds show anomalies at the onset of the Griffiths-like phase. Intriguingly, the low temperature synchrotron diffraction results are conclusive for determining the singularities for both the compounds. Interplay between the low-dimensionality, magnetic frustration, and magneto-elastic coupling correlates the observed short range ordered state, which is suggested as a Griffiths-like phase, above T N for both the compounds.