Structure and magnetic interactions in (Sr, Sb)-doped lanthanum manganites

Ceramic samples La_1-2xSr_2xMn_1-xSb_xO₃ (x≤0.2) have been studied by X-ray and neutron powder diffraction, magnetization measurements and charge density calculations have also been performed. The compounds are characterized by the rhombohedral structure at room temperature; temperature decrease causes structural transition to the orthorhombic structure. La_1-2xSr_2xMn_1-xSb_xO₃ ceramics are characterized by homovalent manganese ions and have long range ferromagnetic order which gradually diminishes with the chemical substitution. It is considered that magnetic properties of the compounds are determined by the dominance of ferromagnetic superexchange interactions stabilized in the orbital disordered orthorhombic phase. Significant covalent component of the Mn-O chemical bonds contributes to the long-range ferromagnetic order of the compounds, the covalency of the chemical bonds is assumed to be isotropically distributed over the orthorhombic phase.