Phase separation in Sr doped BiMnO₃

Phase separation in Sr doped BiMnO₃ (Bi_1-xSr _xMnO₃, x = 0.4-0.6) was studied by means of temperature-dependent high-resolution neutron powder diffraction (NPD), high resolution X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and physical property measurements. All the experiments indicate that a phase separation occurs at the temperature coinciding with the reported charge ordering temperature (T_CO) in the literature. Below the reported T_CO, both the phases resulting from the phase separation crystallize in the orthorhombically distorted perovskite structure with space group Imma. At lower temperature, these two phases order in the CE-type antiferromagnetic structure and the A-type antiferromagnetic structure, respectively. However, a scrutiny of the high-resolution NPD and XRD data at different temperatures and the electron diffraction experiment at 300 K did not manifest any evidence of a long-range charge ordering (CO) in our investigated samples, suggesting that the anomalies of physical properties such as magnetization, electric transport, and lattice parameters at the T _CO might be caused by the phase separation rather than by a CO transition.