A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF OXYGEN LOSS ON IN SITU HEATING IN PrMnO3 AND BaMnO3

Abstract

We have thoroughly investigated the oxygen loss in PrMnO 3 and BaMnO 3, the end members of the AMnO 3 system, on in situ heating in a reducing atmosphere. This was done to drive some oxygen out from them and thus possibly alter the valence of the Mn cation. Sample characterization was done through X-ray diffraction and SEM measurements. The core-level photoemission point to oxygen loss from only BaMnO 3 changing some of Mn 4+ to Mn 3+ in it, transfer of some spectral weight to the highly localized Fehrenbacher–Rice states and an increased Mn 3d – O 2p hybridization. Magnetization measurements show that at low temperatures, the samples depict a canted antiferromagnetic ordering.